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AUTHOR: 


THOMAS 


-.-^''^•-•y  -.'\ 


J 


TITLE: 


A  SCAMPER  THROUGH 
SPAIN  AND  TANGIER... 

PLACE: 

NEW  YORK 

DA  TE : 

[1892] 


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Thotnas,  Margaret.  f 

A  scamper  thr  ugh  Spain  and  Tangier,  by  Margaret 
Thomas:  v/ith  ilhisi  raUuii^  by  {],{;  author  ...  London^ 
Hutr»hiri;>un  Cv  lu..  .lb92i-.New  lork,   Dcdd,    Mead  cl8923 

xiv  p.,  1  1.,  302  p.     tr    nt  ,  illus.,  plates.    21'". 


1.  Spain — Descr.  &  trav.    2.  Tangier — Descr.        i.  Title. 


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A  SCAMPER  THROUGH  SPAIN 
AND  TANGIER. 


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A  SCAMPER  THROUGH  SPAIN 

AND  TANGIER 


BY 


MARGARET     THOMAS 


WITH    ILLUSTRATIONS    BY    THE    AUTHOR 


"Quien  dice  Espana,  dice  todo." 


* 


NEW  YORK 

DODD,    MEAD    &    COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 


6 

t 


1, 


ours. 


ttB  7     W>' 


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TO 


MY   DEAR   FRIEND, 


I 


THE   COMPANION   OF   THESE   WANDERINGS, 


®Sis  t3oofe 


IS    MOST    FITLY   INSCRIBED 


BY 


THE  AUTHOR. 


k 


BY  WAY  OF   PREFACE. 


On  the  score  of  my  friendship  and  regard  for 
the  author  of  this  Scamper  through  Spain  and 
Tangier,  I  have  been  asked  to  contribute  that 
unnecessary  exordium  to  a  book  known  as 
an  Introduction,  As  in  ordinary  social  inter- 
course there  are  some  pleasant  and  charm- 
ing persons  who  need  no  *' introduction,"  so 
it  is  in  the  field  of  letters  and  art ;  and  I,  for 
one,  feel  that  Miss  Margaret  Thomas,  with  her 
fresh  and  unpretentious  notes  and  sketches 
made  on  her  recent  wanderings  among  Moors 
and  Spaniards,  needs  no  word  of  recom- 
mendation from  anybody.  These  speak  for 
themselves  as  plainly  as  pen  and  pencil  can. 
But  perhaps  a  few  words  concerning  Miss 
Thomas's    career    and    personality    may    be 


■nil 


PREFACE. 


PREFACE. 


IX 


acceptable  to  those  who,  about  to  read  this 
volume,  would   like  to  know  somewhat  of  its 

author. 

In   many   of  the   English,    Australian,  and 

Canadian     journals    of     late,    articles     have 
appeared   dealing   with   the    singular    Anglo- 
Saxon  "  colony  "  of  art  students  now  in  Paris. 
Many  of  these  ardent  young  men  and  women 
were  born  and  bred  in  Australia  or  in  Canada, 
and  it  would  really  appear   as   though    Paris 
were  now  joyfully  recognised  by  our  Colonial 
kinsmen  as  the  art  centre  of  the  world.     These 
clever  young  Cornstalks  and  Bluenoses  are  as 
contemptuous    about   "English   Art"  (whose 
very   existence,    indeed,    they  question)    as  is 
Mr.  Charles  Whibley,  or  his  idol,  Mr.  Whistler. 
To  them  Paris  is  the  soul  and  centre  of  their 
world— the   veritable    metropolis   of  art— and 
London    nothing    but   a   huge    over-crowded 
agglomeration  of  provincialities. 

No  one  familiar  with  this  Colonial  art  move- 
ment can  for  a  moment  gainsay  the  truth  of 


i  1 


this  statement.    Should  it  jar  on  the  patriotic 
Briton,  or  even  on  the  non-artistic  Australian 
or    Canadian    (who    is    likewise    a    patriotic 
Briton),   let  him  visit  the  Quartier  Latin  and 
inquire  as  to  the  nationality  of  the  pupils  in 
the    studios    of    Signor    Colarossi   or   of  M. 
Julien  ;  this  will,  I  imagine,  remove  all  doubt 
from  his  mind  as  to  the  Australian  and  Canadian 
view  of  French  and  English  art.      Should  the 
sceptic  not  feel  inclined  to  cross  the   storm- 
tossed  Channel,  or  care   to   study  personally 
the  vie  boheme  of   Paris  (so  amusingly  hit  off 
by  Mr.  Morley  Roberts  in  a  recent  book  of 
short    and    amusing    stories),    then    may    he 
turn  with  profit  to  Miss  Margaret   Thomas's 
own  account  of  the  subject  in  her  excellent 
article  on  "  Paris  Art  Schools  and  Australian 
Students,"    to  be  found   in   Literary   Opinion 

for  August,  1 89 1. 

With  this  new  Colonial  art  movement  Miss 
Thomas,  herself  an  Australian,  is  in  entire 
accord.  After  winning  whatever  distinction  was 


PRE  FA  CE. 


PREFACE. 


XI 


possible  in  those  days  as  a  student  in  the 
National  Art  Gallery  of  Melbourne,  under  her 
old  master,  the  late  Charles  Summers,  she 
boldly  came  to  Europe,  and  studied  in 
London,  Paris,  and  Rome.  I  have  heard  her 
speak  with  respect  of  the  training  she  received 
in  the  Royal  Academy,  London,  but  always 
with  enthusiasm  of  Paris. 

During  her  now  long  residence  in  Europe, 
Miss  Thomas,  as  sculptor,  has  executed  work 
of  no  little  interest  to  the  man  of  letters  as 
well  as  to  the  lover  of  art.      Such  a  work  is 
her    memorial    Bust    of    Henry   Fielding,    at 
Taunton,  which  has  been  eulogised  by  no  less 
authorities  than    Russell   Lowell    and   Austin 
Dobson.      Such,  too,  is  her  Bust  of  Richard 
Jefferies,    unveiled  at  Salisbury   Cathedral  by 
the   excellent    Bishop   Wordsworth   (with    the 
assistance    of  the   accomplished   and  cultured 
Dean)  in  the  present  month. 

But  it  is  not  my  purpose  to  furnish  a  cata- 
logue   of    Miss    Margaret  Thomas's    various 


■  % 
I 


1 


achievements  in  paint  or  marble.     I  merely  wish 
to  tell  in  outline  what  manner  of  person  it  is 
who  in  this  book  will    ''personally  conduct" 
the    reader    through    these    romantic  —  if    at 
times  uncomfortable— Lands  of  Old  Romance. 
It  is  characteristic    that  Miss  Thomas  should 
find  much  In    the  natural   aspect  of  Spain  to 
remind  her  of  her  own  sunburnt  Austral  plains. 
Doubtless   much  of  the  interior  of  Australia 
is    very    similar  to    the    arid    wastes    of    the 
Peninsula ;    but    one   can  hardly  wonder   that 
an  artist,  even  though  Australian-bred,  should 
prefer  the  country  of  Velasquez  to  the  colony 
of  Victoria.    What  though  our  '*  brand-new" 
go-ahead  English-speaking  provinces   be   full 
of  all  modern   improvements   and  fin-de'Siecle 
notions  — excellent  trams  and  fast  trains  (infi- 
nitely ahead  of  anything  in  poor  old  Spain,  to 
say   nothing  of   Tangier),  and    huge    modern 
hotels  and  elevators,  and  the  electric   light— 
they  boast    no  Burgos    Cathedral,   no    quaint 
headdress  and  peasant  garb,  no  out-worn  but 


Xll 


PREFA  CE, 


venerable    superstition,    no  sense    of   all-per- 
vading gloom  and  mystery. 

It  strikes  me  that  many  persons  who  have 
not  even  a  bowing  acquaintance  with  Art  will 
glance  at  these  sketches  and  peruse  this  uncon- 
ventional but  not  uninstructive  book  of  travel 
with  pleasure.     Even   the   most  prosaic  have 
builded  '*  castles  in  Spain  "  ;   and  though  it  be 
our  sorry  lot  to  live  on  from  year  to  year  in 
some  dull  suburb  of  a  prosaic  Anglo-Saxon  city 
—be  it   London   or    Liverpool,  New  York  or 
Melbourne  — we   yet   have,    somewhere    deep 
down    in    our    nature,   a    touch,   a  feeling  of 
romance,  a  ** hidden  fount"   of  poetry.     And 
there  will  surely  be  moments  when  such  a  book 
as  this  Scamper  through  Spain  and  Tangier  will 
awake  us  out  of  our  dull  wretched  mechanical 
existence,    and  set  us  once   more    a-singing, 
**  Over  the  Hills  and  Far  Away." 

Arthur  Patchett  Martin. 


Reform  Club, 

Marchy  1892. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER   I. 

PACE 

St.  Jean  de  Luz ^ 

CHAPTER  II. 
Burgos  Cathedral 13 

CHAPTER   III. 
Madrid  and  Velasquez 25 

CHAPTER  IV. 
El  Escorial 53 

CHAPTER  v. 
Toledo ^5 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Cordoba  and  its  Mosque 92 

CHAPTER  VII. 
Seville  and  Murillo 127 


xiv  COyTENTS. 

CHAPTER   VIII. 

PAGE 

Granada  and  the  Alhambra 164 

CHAPTER   IX. 
MXlaga 185 

CHAPTER  X. 
Gibraltar  and  Galleries 203 

CHAPTER   XI. 
"  Olla  Podrida  " 207 

CHAPTER   XII. 
Tangier 225 

CHAPTER   XIII. 
Tangier  [co7itmued) 243 

CHAPTER    XIV. 
Tangier  {continued) 262 

CHAPTER   XV. 
Tangier  {continued) 273 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
Tangier  {continued) 286 


\ 


SPAIN. 


i 


A    SCAMPER    THROUGH    SPAIN 

AND  TANGIER. 


CHAPTKR   T. 


ST.    JEAN     DE     LUZ. 

Being  artists,  we  considered  it  would  be 
advantageous  to  studv  the  paintin-s  ui  ihe 
immortal  Velasquez,  and,  for  the  same  reason, 
had  to  do  it  as  economically  as  possible. 
In  common  with  m^any  others,  we  had  heard 
dreadful  accounts  of  Spain,  of  the  badness 
and  dearness  of  the  food  there,  of  the  bri- 
gands and  of  the  cholera,  and  of  the  difficul- 
ties of  all  kinds  attending  travellers — reports 
which  have  prevented  many  otherwise  adven- 
turous persons  unprovided  with  a  full  purse  from 
penetrating  there ;    but  we,  two  lady   artists, 

B 


2  A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 

decided  to  risk  all  this,  and  try  with  our  mode- 
rate means  to  accomplish  what  the  rich  only 
usually  undertake. 

How  we  did  it  and  how  we  fared  may  be 
of  interest  to  the  many  situated  like  ourselves, 
viz.,  those  with  purses  not  too  full,  who  desire 
to    see    what   has    been    done    by    the    great 
geniuses  of  that  country,  to  enlarge  their  minds 
with  the  experience  travelling  alone  can  give, 
and  lay   up  for  themselves  a  fund  of  rrmini^- 
cences  which   may  cause  them  ph^a^nro  curing 
the    ta:lia--    (la\-s  of  age ;    1  niav  au<l,  lu  obtain 
that   t,:ullure    in  liitnr  |'i-'ac:^i>iun  \vh;c;i  Ntudenls 
or'   trvcry  callin-  can  acquire  <>ni\-  by  tiic  ^tuJy 
of  the   inaslcrpiucc:.  ul'  tia-ir  art,    aiaJ   the     an- 
duubicJ    ma-^ttu-pieces    of  Gniiiic   arciuiecture 
and  ^A  paintinu'   are  to  be  seen    in   tliat    ciue- 
travelled    and     d'Hlruit     country     of     access, 
Spain.       To   ^iirh  persons  T  hope  these  chap- 
ters will  pruve  a  kind  of  inconsequential  guide- 
l)'iOK.       Inc    plutocrat   travels   from   hotel   to 
hotel,  and  meets  only  his    kind;    we    will  go 


£9 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER.  3 

from  casa  de  htiespedes  to  casa  de  Jincspcdcs^  and 
study  the  Spanish  people. 

We  went  from  Paris    to    Bordeaux,   as   we 
had  been  for  some  time  resident  in  that  artistic 
capital,  but  in  starting  from   England  it  would 
be  cheaper  to  go  to  Bordeaux  by  steamer.  The 
railway  journey  is  long  and  tedious.     The  train 
de  luxe,  '*  Sud  Express/'  costing  one  hundred 
and   forty-nine   francs    each  from   Paris  to  St. 
Jean  de    Luz,  we  considered  too  expensive — 
be^uh--^,  it  takes  tliirteon  hours  to  pca'forni    the 
journey — and  went  by  tlit^  omnibus  train,  wdiich 
occupies    seven     hours    more    and    costs   firt\'- 
five  Irano  onlc.      Piudiaiis   1    ouci'ht   to  explain 
that  it  i^  the  classes  wauch  make  the  dinerence 
in  j»ricc,  tin.;  express  only  carrying  tirst-class  pas- 
sengers, and  lac  omnibus  train  three  classes. 

Hero  we    decid.-il    to    rest  awhile,  and   gQ.t 
nno  a  Ll]nrou;^hi\-  striate-  state  of  ht-alth  l,)(?fore 


advancing   to    ilic   regions    of    rancid 
^pare   food,  and   we   could  not   ha\e  ciio 


o\i    anil 


v..  J  S  t'  I !     vi 


Boarding-house. 
B  2 


1 


4  A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 

more  suitable  spot.  The  rough  waves  of  the 
Bay  of  Biscay,  of  evil  memory  to  our  Indian  and 
Australian  travellers,  wash  its  stormy  little 
haven,  and  the  cool  winds  from  the  Pyrenees 
breathe  down  its  roof-o'ershadowed  streets, 
and  agitate  the  many-coloured  shutters  of 
which  the  Basques  appear  so  fond.  St.  Jean 
de  Luz  is  not  Spain,  but  it  is  the  antechamber, 
a  prelude,  as  it  were,  of  which  the  theme  is  the 
lovely  Andalusian  airs.  The  women  are  beau- 
tiful and  quite  classical  in  feature,  and  this 
idea  of  classicality  is  emphasized  by  the 
absence  of  the  fringe  of  hair  which  is  so  pre- 
posterously universal  in  England.  They  have 
that  grand  undulation  of  carriage  which  is 
only  attained  by  the  practice  of  carrying  heavy 
weights  on  the  head,  and  wearing  very  slight 
or  no  shoes. 

I  think  if  I  had  a  school  for  English  girls, 
I  would  make  carrying  weights  on  the  head 
one  of  the  principal  exercises  in  deportment. 
The    men     look    as    if    Antinous,    Mercury, 


i 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER.  5 

Apollo,  et  hoc  genus  omne^  had  stepped  down 
from  their  pedestals  to  drive  donkeys,  catch 
fish,  carry  water,  and  perform  other  ordinary 
acts  of  humanity. 

In  September,  during  which  month  we  were 
there,  every  kind  of  fruit  seemed  in  season, 
from  strawberries  to  peaches  and  melons ;  but 
the  came  de  vacca  (cow-beef)  and  perpetual 
old  veal  leave  something  to  be  desired  in  the 
way  of  meat. 

Across  the  entrance  to  the  little  harbour 
a  massive  breakwater  is  built,  and  when  the 
tide  is  coming  in  and  the  wind  is  at  all  fresh, 
a  mass  of  snowy  water,  twenty  and  thirty  feet 
in  height,  rises  on  the  further  side  and  falls  in 
whitest  foam  over  the  stones  on  this.  Speaking 
of  the  sea  reminds  me  to  add  that  the  bathing 
here  is  very  good. 

The  church  is  well  worthy  of  attention ;  it 
dates  from  the  thirteenth  century,  and  has  a 
fine  massive  tower.  The  whole  of  the  east  end 
is    raised   from    the    floor,    ornamented    with 


^5 


6  A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 

Statues,  and  elaborately  gilt;  the  back  of 
this  is  called  the  retahlo.  Round  the  other 
three  sides  run  three  rows  of  narrow  dark 
oak  galleries,  occupied  during  the  services 
by  men  only,  and  at  the  west  end  the  organ 
projects  into  the  body  of  the  building.  A 
little  figure  of  the  Virgin,  dressed  in  a  lace 
dress,  with  a  black  velvet  cloak,  a  nun's  hood, 
a  silver  crown,  and  holding  an  elaborate  lace 
handkerchief  elegantly  in  her  disproportion- 
ately small  hands,  is  an  object  of  great  vene- 
ration. 

*'  The  Basques  are  said  to  be  the  descendants 
of  the  earliest  inhabitants  of  the  Peninsula, 
and  to  this  day  they  have  preserved  intact 
the  character,  customs,  and  language  of  their 
forefathers.  With  all  justice  they  can  lay 
claim  to  the  title  of  the  oldest  race  in  Spain. 
Physically  they  are  a  very  superior  race,  tall, 
muscular,  well  proportioned,  wiry,  and  swift- 
footed.  The  women  are  very  handsome,  fair 
complexioned,     and    with     magnificent     hair. 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER.  7 

They  cover  their  heads  in  the  cold  and  rainy 
months,  or  when  they  go  to  church,  with  the 
cloth  hood  worn  in  Navarre,  the  Pyrenees 
French  and  Spanish,  the  South  of  France,  and 
Bruges  in  Belgium."  Thus  the  trustworthy 
O'Shea;  but  I  will  add  that,  when  it  is  not  cold 
and  rainy,  and  when  they  do  not  go  to  church, 
the  women  wear  handkerchiefs  on  their  heads 
so  beautifully  arranged  as  to  make  them  re- 
semble antique  statues.  The  long  black  cloaks 
and  veils  worn  by  them  at  funerals  are  most 
mysterious  and  romantic-looking. 

Traffic  is  carried  on  in  St.  Jean  de  Luz  by 
bullock  waggons — two  bullocks  to  each  waggon. 
These  creatures  are  small  and  of  a  light 
colour,  shod  like  those  in  Italy,  and  capable 
of  great  endurance.  The  yoke  is  extremely 
heavy,  as  much  as  a  strong  man  can  lift; 
the  pole  passes  through  the  centre,  and  the 
horns  of  the  animals  are  immovably  bound 
to  it  on  either  side  with  interminable  thongs  of 
hide.     Their  heads   are   covered    with    sheep- 


8 


A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


i 


skins  to  keep  off  the  sun,  and  their  eyes  with 
boughs,  ferns,  or  tassels,  to  drive  away  the 
flies,  which  are  here  extremely  troublesome; 
they  are  also  covered  with  linen  cloths  for  the 
same  reason.  I  regret  to  have  to  add  that 
they  are  driven  by  a  goad  with  an  iron  point, 
which  if  cruelly  used  must  be  a  very  dreadful 
implement.  Let  us  hope  the  natural  good-nature 
of  the  Basque  peasant  prevents  the  animals 
from  ever  feeling  its  full  force. 

When  Louis  XIV.  was  married  to  Maria 
Theresa  the  royal  couple  lodged  in  a  large 
house  here,  called  **Casadela  Infante,"  which 
is  still  preserved.  But  **  'ware  guide-book !  "  It 
is  more  useful  to  mention  that  the  Hotel  de 
France  is  all  one  can  desire  in  the  way  of  a 
hotel,  and  that  for  those  who  wish  to  make 
a  lengthened  stay,  or,  like  ourselves,  study 
economy,  apartments  (very  good)  and  attend- 
ance can  be  had  for  six  francs  a  day. 

The  present  Russian  craze  has  reached  even 
here;  it    is   a   pity   to  see  a  free    and   noble 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER.  9 

nation  like  the  French  throwing  itself  at  the 
feet  of  the  northern  despot.  However,  the  St. 
Jean  de  Luz  people  play  the  glorious  Russian 
hymn  magnificently. 

We  were  fortunately  here  one  Sunday,  and 
so  attended  the  grand  Mass,  a  splendid 
function,  where  Basque  music,  which  is  ex- 
tremely forcible  and  original,  can  be  heard  to 
perfection.  A  sermon  was  also  preached  in 
the  Basque  language.  Properly  to  enjoy 
foreign  travel,  the  voyager  should  endeavour 
to  free  his  mind  from  every  prejudice  and 
preconception  he  has  ever  been  taught  or  has 
acquired,  and  thus  leave  it  open  for  the 
reception  of  new  ideas,  which,  nine  times  out 
of  ten,  will  be  better  than  the  insular  ones 
already  imbibed. 

I  return  again  to  express  my  admiration  of 
the  arrangement  of  drapery  on  the  women's 
heads :  Sir  Frederic  Leighton  himself  could 
not  add  or  take  away  a  fold  that  would 
improve  it.     I  wonder  sculptors  do  not  come 


lO 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


here  for  subjects.  Beauty  is  the  rule,  not  the 
exception,  and  beauty  of  the  most  classical 
type;  the  colourless  cheeks,  perfect  features, 
and  draping  would  lend  themselves  most 
readily  to  reproduction  in  marble. 

It  was  no  use — they  could  not  help  it :  the 
moment  the  music  commenced  on  the  place 
on  Sunday  and  Thursday  evenings,  the  very 
children's  limbs  began  to  twitch  and  move 
about  in  their  anxiety  to  dance.  The  music 
was  not  good,  and  a  common  waltz  tune  did 
not  lend  itself  happily  to  the  refined  measures 
of  Xhe/andaugo  ;  still,  they  did  their  best.  At 
ten  o'clock,  however,  the  band  struck  up  the 
appropriate  air,  and  in  a  few  seconds  the 
whole  of  the  tree-lined  place  seemed  alive 
with  dancers;  men  and  women,  boys  and  girls 
mingled  in  the  w^hirl  of  this  most  graceful 
dance ;  everyone  knew  it  and  everyone  loved 
it,  so  they  danced  con  arnore.  Not  one  inappro- 
priate gesture,  not  one  rude  action  or  word — 
all  was  good  temper  and  gaiety,  till,  when  the 


Si 

1 


1 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


XI 


music   ceased,   they  regretfully  betook    them- 
selves home. 

There  is  a  point  of  land  here  whence  Fuent- 
arabia,  in  Spain,  and  Biarritz  can  be  seen  ; 
also  the  magnificent  range  of  the  Pyrenees 
rising  from  the  sea,  culminating  in  the  huge 
spire  of  La  Rhune,  and  the  fantastic  peaks 
of  Les  Trois  Couronnes. 

Perhaps  they  laugh  at  us  a  good  deal  on 
the  Continent,  but  I  think,  notwithstanding, 
there  is  a  feeling  of  profound  respect  for,  and 
trust  in,  the  '*  silent  English  "  at  the  bottom  of 
every  Frenchman's  heart.  The  two  nations 
are  so  essentially  different  that  when  one  recog- 
nises in  the  French  the  same  or  even  greater 
love  of  wife,  children,  and  home  which  we 
congratulate  ourselves  on  alone  possessing, 
one  feels  there  is  at  least  a  bond  of  union 
there. 

I  have  written  so  much  about  St.  Jean  de 
Luz,  because  writing  filled  up  the  hot  days 
there  when  to  go  out  in  the  raging  sun  seemed 


12 


A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


13 


impossible,  and  the  **baked  cicala"  even  must 
have  had  a  bad  time  of  it. 

From  here  an  excursion  can  easily  be  made  to 
Biarritz,  railway  in  three-quarters  of  an  hour, 
and  omnibus  to  the  town.  It  is  a  very  flourishing*, 
fashionable  place,  much  patronised  by  French, 
Russians,  and  Spaniards  at  this  season,  and  by 
the  English  a  few  weeks  later,  but  to  be  avoided 
by  economical  artists.  There  are  three  beaches, 
each  excellent  for  walking  and  bathing,  shops 
which  resemble  those  of  Paris,  and  every 
amusement  conceivable.     It  is  foreign-looking 

but   much    less   picturesque    than    this    little 
town. 


4 


CHAPTER    II. 


BURGOS    CATHEDRAL. 


The  journey  from  St.  Jean  de  Luz  to  Burgos 
occupies  twelve  hours,  and  is  not  without 
interest.  Fare,  fifteen  francs  ;  sixty  pounds  of 
luggage— quite  enough  for  the  economical 
tourist— allowed  free  everywhere  in  Spain. 

In  passing  through  the  Pyrenees  one  can 
observe  the  marvellous  blue  colour,  changing 
from  cobalt  to  deepest  purple,  which  they  as- 
sume at  a  short  distance  from  the  eye,  colours 
which  are  repeated  in  the  mountains  all  over 
Spain,  and  which  are  exactly  represented  in  the 
landscapes  of  Velasquez.  Some  people  seem 
to  require  wonderfully  little  luggage  when  they 
travel ;  a  Spanish  lady  performed  this  journey 
on  an  equipment  of  a  bottle  of  wine,  a  fan,  and 
three  peaches ;    and  a   youth    on   a  bottle   of 


14  A    SCAJfPER   THROUGH 

Wine,  one  pocketful  of  cigars  and  another  of 
nuts,  and  a  pair  of  slippers.     O  si  sic  oinnes  ! 

At  Hendaye,  the  French  frontier  town,  nume- 
rous pilgrims,  returning  from  Lourdes,  joined 
us,  wearing  huge  rosaries  round  their  necks — 
even  the  most  reverend  seniors  had  a  great  row 
of  beads  thrown  proudly  over  their  coats  ;  but, 
— It  was  rather  hard — at  Irun,  the  dreaded 
Spanish  custom-house,  these  poor  creatures 
were  made  to  pay  six  francs  a  kilo  duty  on 
their  pious  wares,  the  officials  being  anxious, 
I  suppose,  for  the  suppression  In  Spain  of  all 
piety  that  was  not  Spanish. 

But  the  examinatlonof  our  baggage  was  con- 
ducted with  the  utmost  liberality  and  courtesy  : 
gentlemen  just  thrust  their  gloved  hands  lightly 
into  our  boxes,  chalked  a  mark  on  the  outside, 
and  all  was  over.  Rather  different  from  the 
account  I  lately  read  In  a  French  book  as  to 
how  a  lady  threw  handfuls  of  gold  to  guitar- 
playlng  officials  to  bribe  them  to  let  her  luggage 
pass  !     One  must  not  put  absolute  trust  In  all 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


15 


I 


m 


I 


travellers'  tales  evidently.  Then  we  passed  for 
hours  over  barren,  wind-swept  plains,  with  here 
and  there  a  village  coloured  like  the  earth  from 
which  It  sprang ;  at  last  the  spires  of  Burgos 
Cathedral  rose  upon  the  horizon  like  two  shafts 
of  interrupted  light. 

I  have  headed  this  chapter  '*  Burgos  Cathe- 
dral," because  when  one  reads  of  Burgos  one 
naturally  thinks  first  of  the  cathedral  In  con- 
nection with  It,  as  when  one  reads  of  Anthony 
one  Immediately  adds  mentally  Cleopatra,  or  of 
Hannibal  the  Alps  come  directly  Into  the  mind, 
or  of  Wellington  one  thinks  of  Waterloo. 

But  this  cathedral — it  is  simply  Indescribable. 
Imagine  a  number  of  shrubs,  flowers,  fruit,  birds, 
animals,  children,  men,  and  women,  heaved 
up  into  the  bluest  air  ever  dreamed  of,  and 
turned  into  stone,  there  to  remain  concrete  for 
ever  ;  or,  all  the  frost  you  ever  saw  upon  your 
window  panes  hung  up  in  the  same  changeless 
firmament,  and  magnified  millions  of  times; 
or,  lace  fit  for  giants  hung  to  dry  across  the 


\ 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


17 


massive  pillars  which  support  the  fabric — ana 
you  may  have  a  faint  glimmering  idea  of  it, 
and  if  you  haven't  after  this,  I  can  give  you 
none.  The  guide-books  tell  you  the  measure- 
ments, but  they  are  of  no  avail  in  forming  a 
mental  impression  of  the  whole,  because  the 
re/as  *  which  in  Spanish  cathedrals  divide  the 

altar  and  choir  from  the  rest  of  the  building, 
and  fence  in  every  separate  chapel,  prevent 
one  from  ever  getting  a  good  general  view. 
The  interior  of  the  lantern  is  wonderfully 
carved ;  no  one  who  has  seen  it  can  describe  it, 
and  those  who  have  not  seen  it  cannot  form  an 
idea  of  it  from  any  description,  so  it  seems  use- 
less to  say  much  about  it.  It  dates  from  1567, 
and  is  a  work  unique  of  its  kind. 

One  cannot  help  regretting  that,  amid  the 
majesty  of  the  Gothic  architecture,  some 
Corinthian  columns  have  been  used  in  the 
screen — as  if  a  ballet  dancer  were  to  walk 
in  a  procession  of  nuns.     The  carving  of  the 

*  Railings. 


m 


choir  stalls  Is  magnificent,  rivalling  that  of  the 
stone  itself,  which  seems  to  have  become 
plastic  in  the  hands  of  those  old  sculptors. 

The  chapel  of  the  Condestable  is  the  largest 
and  most  beautiful.  His  effigy  and  that  of  his 
wife,  sculptured  in  Italy  in  1540,  are  in  a  perfect 
state  of  presenilation.  They  are  of  the  purest 
marble,  the  details  of  the  dresses  are  elabo- 
rately wrought,  the  hands,  gloves,  little  dog, 
and  complex  details  of  the  armour  are  marvel- 
lously finished,  but,  like  all  sculpture  in  Spain, 
the  figures  are  short  and  heads  large,  defects 
common  to  the  otherwise  lovely  women  I  have 
seen  here.  In  the  sacristy  is  a  painting  of  the 
Virgin,  by  Leonardo  da  Vinci,  which  I  firmly 
believe  to  be  an  original  work,  and  a  really 
fine  representation  of  the  Crucifixion  by  Matteo 
Cerezo.  There  is  also  a  crucifix  draped  in  an 
embroidered  crimson  velvet  petticoat. 

The  traveller  should  make  a  point  of  hearing 
Mass  in  this,  one  of  the  noblest  fanes  in  which 
God  is  worshipped.     The  full  tones  of  the  organ 

c 


i8 


A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


Stealing,  now  softly  now  loudly,  through  the 
aisles  and  arches,  richly-garbed  priests,  light 
j>treaming  through  stained  glass  on  many  a 
monument  of  the  dead  and  great,  and  veiled 
wom^^n  ''blotties"  on  the  pavement  in  the 
verit  >i  dejection  of  piety,  make  up  a  most 
impressive  effect. 

The  interior  arrangement  of  the  magnificent 
Spanish  cathedrals  differs  from  that  of  those  of 
Italy,  France,  or  England.  The  high  altar  is 
placed  under  the  tower,  or  incdia  naranja,  and 
completely  divided  from  the  rest  of  the  church 
by  a  rich  screen,  often  the  most  elaborate  part  of 
the  building.  It  is  closed  in  front  by  a  huge 
rejuy  the  workmanship  of  nearly  all  of  which 
deserves  minute  inspection.  Behind  the  high 
altar  rises  the  refablo,  magnificently  carved  and 
gilt,  and  before  it  a  space  for  the  two  pulpits. 
In  the  middle  of  the  nave,  facing  the  altar,  is 
the  coro,  or  choir,  with  its  reja  ;  the  trascoro  (back) 
is  profusely  decorated,  as  are  also  the  respaldos 
del  coroy  or  sides. 


31 


I 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER, 


19 


It  is  a  customary  English  saying,  which,  like 
many  others,  we  repeat  from  year  to  year 
without  ever  troubling  to  examine  the  truth  of, 
that  none  but  a  Spanish  woman  can  put  on  a 
mantilla  properly  :    I  will   a1 


1  1 


but  ?i  Basque  woman  cu 


ill 


hand  Kerchief 


on  lur  head  classical  1  v. 

The  secret  of  both  is  this.  The  Spanish  and 
the  Basque  women  dress  their  hair  after  the 
fashion  of  the  ancient  Greeks,  In  a  knot  be- 
hind, about  the  middle  of  the  head ;  if  they 
have  not  enough  hair  of  .their  own,  they  buy 
some.  Over  this,  both  mantilla  and  hand- 
kerchief—draped with  a  little  artistic  taste,  of 
course — set  well ;  and  If  you  will  Imagine  for 
yourself  drapery  over  this  shaped  form,  and 
over  a  round  head  without  the  knot,  you  will 
at  once  see  what  I  mean,  and  be  able  to  drape 
a  mantilla  for  yourself  if  you  are  in  the  least 
artistic. 

An  excursion  from  Burgos  which  ought  not 
to  be  omitted  Is  that  to  La  Cartuja,  a  Carthusian 

c  2 


20 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


convent  a   couple  of   miles    distant.     Almost 
deserted  now  by  the  fast  disappearing  monks, 
it  should  be  visited  for  the  sake  of  the  Gothic 
tombs  of  Juan  II.  and  Queen  Isabella  of  Por- 
tueal.     These  exceed  in  elaboration  of  detail, 
intricacy  of  ornament,  and  in  delicacy  of  carvmg 
all  that  can  be  imagined  of  the  kind,   and  may 
be    ranked   among  the    finest   mausoleums   in 
the  worid.     I  cannot  help  thinking  that  good 
plaster  casts  of  these  marvellous  works  would 
be  of  great  use  to  our  sculptors  and  decorators. 
The  statues   are  in  -a  recumbent  attitude,  and 
like  those  of  the  Condestable  and  his  wife  in 
the  cathedral,  short  and  thick.    This  monastery 
also  has  a  fine  statue  of  St.  Bruno. 

At  the  entrance  to  the  church  was  a  pilgrim 
on  his  knees,  praying  most  fervently.  He  was 
dressed  in  the  long  brown  gown  of  the 
Franciscan  monks,  his  cape  decorated  with 
crosses  and  scallop-shells,  and  his  neck  hung 
with  numberless  medals,  rosaries  and  relics.  He 
carried  a  staff,  with  a  crucifix  and  little  water- 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


21 


^ 


bottle  at  the  end,  and  seemed  to  have  stepped 
for  a  few  minutes  out  of  one  of  Ribera's  pic- 
tures, to  give  us  an  idea  of  how  such  things 
were  done  three  centuries  ago,   when  pilgrim- 


At  the  Cartuja. 

ages  in  a  comfortable  railway-train   had  yet  to 
be  evolved  out  of  the  coming  ages. 

Truly  when  we  pass  into  Spain  we  travel 
backwards   a  hundred  years  or  more,  into  an 


22 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


artist's  paradise,  whence  the  whistles  of  engines 
have  not  yet  frightened  away  the  spirit  of  the 

picturesque. 

There  is  another  excursion,  to  a  convent  and 
church  known  as  *' Las  Huelgas,"  interesting 
on  account  of  the  strict  clausiira  of  the  nuns — 
who  must  be  wealthy  and  of  noble  birth— and 
as  being  the  place  where  aspirants  to  knightly 
honours  used  to  keep  the  vigil  {''velar  las 
armas'').  The  confessional  is  a  niche  in  the 
wall,  in  which  the  priest  sits ;  the  nun  comes  to 
the  other  side  and  whispers  her  transgressions 
through  a  very  slightly  perforated  brass 
grating.  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  one  of  them, 
wearing  their  extraordinary  headdress,  a  tall 
black  velvet  pointed  cap  over  her  white  one, 
such  as  may  be  seen   in  pictures  of  the  time 

of  Henry  II. 

That  hero  of  countless  romances,  the  Cid, 
was  born  in  Burgos  in  1026,  and  his  bones  are 
still  carefully  preserved  in  a  chest  in  the 
ayuntamiento  or    town-hall.      In  the  cathedral 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER, 


23 


is  his  trunk — **la  doyenne  des  malles  du 
monde,"  says  a  French  writer — and  it  is  sup- 
posed to  be  one  of  two  which  he  left,  filled  with 
sand,  as  security  for  a  loan  from  some  Jews, 
assuring  them  that  they  contained  all  his 
jewels  and  gold,  but  that  they  were  not  to  open 
them  till  his  return.  There  is  no  proof  the 
loan  was  ever  repaid,  an  example  which  is  not 
wholly  without  imitators  in  our  own  day. 

There  are  some  fine  old  houses  here,  which 
stand  like  deposed  monarchs  amid  the  scene 
of  their  former  glories. 

We  soon  left  the  bleak  deserted  city  of  the 
Cid,  with  its  sombre  wind-scathed  plain,  and 
started  in  brightest  moonlight  for  Madrid. 
For  hundreds  of  miles  we  traversed  a  treeless, 
lifeless,  barren,  hopeless-looking  desert,  cursed, 
it  would  seem,  for  the  wickedness  and  pride  of 
the  past  centuries.  There  is  no  agriculture,  no 
water,  no  cattle — in  fact,  no  life,  nothing  but 
a  desert  wherein  thousands  of  armies  might 
manoeuvre  and  not  one  be  within  hearing  of 


'i 


24 


A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


n 


the  cannon  roar  of  the  others ;  and  this  kind 
of  scenery  continued,  with  little  or  no  excep- 
tion, beyond  the  city  of  Valladolid,  and  till  we 
reached  M  laiiJ.  a  journey  of  thirteen  hours. 
The  Kiie  was  sixteen  pesetas  or  francs. 

So  far  i  have  not  heard  a  guitar,  and, 
contrary  to  all  I  have  been  told,  have  been 
.^truc'.  with  the  gentleness,  politeness,  even 
kin  Iness  of  the  people.  They  will  share  their 
meagre  food  with  you,  go  out  of  their  way  to 
give  you  information,  and  behave  more  like 
ladies  and  gentlemen  than  peasants.  Only 
their  curiosity  is  somewhat  great ;  they  seem  to 
find  much  satisfaction  in  knowing  whether  you 
are  married  or  not,  how  many  sisters  and 
brothers  you  have,  and  whether  your  sisters 
and  brothers  are  married  or  not.  Neither  are 
they  here  so  dark  as  we  are  led  to  believe. 
We  get  our  notions  of  Spaniards  chiefly  from 
operas,  T  think,  and  the  type  is  about  as  correct 
as  the  shepherds  and  shepherdesses,  soldiers 
and  sailors  of  the  lyric  stage. 


CHAPTER    III. 

MADRID    AND    VELASQUEZ. 

The  impression  produced  1}  the  treeless, 
arid,  sombre  plains  over  w^hich  we  travelled 
for  such  long  hours  could  not  be  erased  for 
many  days.  The  thought  of  those  cheerless 
hovels,  which  grow  up  as  it  were  from  the 
parched  earth  like  fungus;  of  the  hard,  iin- 
sheltering  sky  and  pitiless  scorching  sun  ;  and 
of  the  semi-savage  peasants,  living  chiefly  on 
bread  and  water,  who  sparsely  inhabit  the 
plains — IS  most  depressing.  AH  tlir  centuries 
that  have  passed  have  done  iiilie  but  j;aind 
them  down  :  will  the  coming  twentieth  bring 
them  a  little  freedom  and  hope  ?  One  trusts 
so  for  the  sake  of  the  women  who  are  beautiful, 
affectionate,  and  gentle,  though  when  aroused 


26 


A    SCAMPER   THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


27 


(which  is  not  difficult),  a  tiger  could  not  match 
them  for  fury. 

I  have  coupled  the  grand  name  of  Velasquez 
with  Madrid  because,  without  his  unrivalled 
works,  there  would  be  little  worth  seeing 
\^^.':re\  with  them,  no  pilgrimage  is  too  far, 
no  fatiqiie  too  great  to  endure  in  coming. 
Ill  the  AIii^co  Real  are  many  most  iniiH  rtant 
wurk:^  1)\-  liiu  greatest  mnsters  ;  it  i^  ^iiffiripnt 
to  iricniion  that  there  are  fortv-six  Murillos, 
fort\-ihree  1  itians,  fifty-eight  Rubens,  fifty- 
three  Teniers,  ten  Raphaels,  twenty-two  Van- 
dykes, thirty-four  Tintorettos,  and  twenty-five 
Veroneses. 

The  paintings  here  of  any  one  of  these  artists 
would  in  themselves  make  a  splendid  gallery ; 
but  when  I  add  that  the  student  is  spared  the 
miles  of  inferior  pictures  which  make  up  the 
major  part  of  other  collections,  it  will  be  easy 
to  estimate  the  importance  of  this,  and  it  does 
the  Spaniards  infinite  credit  that,  through  all 
their  poverty  and  struggles,  they  have  managed 


to  keep  the  masterpieces  of  their  great  artists 
in  their  own  land. 

Of  the  truth,  brilliance,  and  force  of  Velas- 
quez' painting  no  words  can  give  an  idea 
except,  perhaps,  to  those  who  have  studied 
his  grand  portrait    of  Admiral 


1  Pare i a   in   the 


'J 


Xciiional  Gallery;  but  what  cliiufiy  impressed 
me  about  his  work  was  it^  tremendous  l^reaJih 
and  simplicity.  The  \^enuses  of  Titian  are 
sublime,  and  the  Madonnas  of  Raphael  pure 
and   di\anc,   but   tin/  porsonages  of   X'elasquez 


are   life  itself.     1 


L      lb 


diffi 


CUi 


t       t' , 


r»articulanse 


any  one  picture,  but  after  *^Los  Borrachos," 
by  Velasquez,  his  **  Surrender  of  Breda  '* 
comes  next,  as  the  two  greatest  pictures  the 
world  has  ever  seen.  I  place  **  Los  Borrachos  " 
first  simply  because  the  figures,  being  life  size, 
have  a  grander  look  than  the  smaller  ones  in 
the  other  picture ;  otherwise  there  is  nothing 
to  choose  between  them.  Perhaps,  too,  the 
harmony  of  colouring,  the  rich  tones  of  yellow 
and    brown    in    the   former  work,   are    more 


■M 


\ 


28 


A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


^PAIN  AND   TANGIER, 


29 


pleasing  than  the  sombre  scheme  in  *'  The 
Surrender.'* 

It  may  interest  the  student  in  art  to  know 
that  in  the  picture  of  **Las  Meninas,"  called 
by  Giordano  "la  teologia  de  la  pintura," 
Velasquez  has  introduced  his  own  portrait,  from 
which  several  hints  as  to  his  method  of  paint- 
ing may  be  gathered.  The  great  artist  stands 
at  his  easel,  not  sits,  uses  a  mahlstick,  and  has 
five  large  brushes  in  his  hand.  The  palette  is 
set  with  the  following  few  and  simple  colours 
in  the  order  mentioned,  beginning  near  the 
thumb -hole: — vermilion,  white,  light  red, 
yellow  ochre,  lake,  burnt  sienna,  umber,  black 
or  blue.  The  studio  is  lighted  by  a  large 
side-light. 

It  is  related  of  this  picture  that,  when 
finished,  the  artist  showed  it  to  Philip  IV., 
his  great  patron,  and  inquired  if  nothing  was 
wanting?  '*One  thing  only,"  said  the  king, 
and,  taking  the  palette,  he  painted  on  the 
breast   of   the   portrait   of   the   artist    in    the 


picture,  the  cross  of  the  Order  of  Santiago, 
one  of  the  most  distinguished  in  Spain.  The 
stiff  little  cross,  so  evidently  the  work  of  an 
amateur,  still  attests  the  truth  of  this  story. 

Others  of  Velasquez'  great  works  are  the 
**  Forge  of  Vulcan,"  in  which  *'the  beauty  of 
the  human  forms  makes  up  for  the  want  of 
divinity  in  the  gods;*'  and  ''Las  Hilanderas," 
or  ''The  Spinners,"  a  triumph  of  art,  colour, 
and  expression.  It  is  needless  to  say  anything 
about  his  portraits,  second  to  none  in  the 
world,  but  it  may  not  be  so  generally  known 
that  he  was  an  excellent  landscape  painter,  to 
which  branch  of  art  he  appears  to  have  given 
some  study,  judging  from  the  fine  sketches 
made  in  Rome,  which  are  in  this  museo, 

Murillo  takes  almost  equal  rank  among  the 
painters  of  Spain,  or  indeed,  of  rhe  world, 
there  are  two  "  Assumptions  "  here,  which  are 
nearly  as  good  as  the  celebrated  picture  of 
that  subject  in  the  Louvre,  but  not  quite, 
though  I  think  the  French  picture  is  deterior- 


30 


A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


ated  by  cleaning-  and  varnishing.  No  painter's 
work  suffers  so  much  from  over-cleaning  as 
Murillo's;  it  seems  to  rub  some  of  his  subtle 
atmosphere  off,  like  the  bloom  off  a  plum. 

One  of  the  great  charms  of  the  pictures  in 
^ladrid  is  that  they  are  fresh  and  but  little 
touched  by  the  fatal  hand  of  the  restorer ;  the 
dry  climate  has  preserved  them,  and  they  are 
even  now  nearly  as  they  were  when  they  left 
the  easel  of  the  painter. 

Let  us  now  leave  the  gallery,  or  mtiseo  as 
it  is  called  (only  to  return  as  soon  as  possible), 
and  look  at  Madrid,  the  casket,  as  it  were, 
which  contains  these  inestimable  artistic  trea- 
sures. 

The  best  or  most  fashionable  parts  of  it 
greatly  resemble  Paris ;  the  buildings  are  fine, 
of  beautiful  stone,  and  all  look  as  if  they  were 
just  finished,  the  extreme  dryness  of  the  atmo- 
sphere preserving  rather  than  blackening  and 
injuring  the  material.  The  older  portions  are 
much    more    characteristic.       Here    are    the 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER, 


3' 


markets,  where  cartloads  of  water-melons, 
peaches,  and  vegetables  of  all  sorts  lie  in  the 
streets  waiting  for  purchasers,  and  great  quan- 
tities of  red  and  green  capsicums,  brilliant  as 
jewels,  are  always  to  be  seen. 


La  Latina. 

The  Calle  de  Toledo  is  the  best  in  which 
to  see  the  people,  and  very  nice  and  well 
behaved  we  found  them.  We  visited  two  of 
the  churches.  The  cathedral  church  of  San 
Isidro   is   in    the   usual  gaudy  Spanish   style, 


i 

^ 


3» 


A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


33 


With  much  gilding,  exaggeration  of  ecclesi- 
astical horrors,  and  other  things  which  appeal 
to  the  imagination  of  the  ignorant— I  cannot 
say  vulgar,  for  no  Spaniard  ever  appears  so. 
I  think  there  are  some  paintings  here  of  great 
merit,  and  well  worth  removing,  though  in  the 
sombre  light  it  is  difficult  to  judge. 

The  finest  church  in  Madrid  is  supposed  to 
be  San  Francisco;  it  is  built  in  the  classical 
style,  and  not  badly  ornamented,  with  paintings 
and  colossal  statues  of  the  Apostles.  The 
carving  of  the  doors  is  remarkably  good.  One 
cannot  help  remarking  the  wonderful  little 
figures  of  the  Virgin  in  these  churches,  dressed 
in  gilded  raiment,  holding  bouquets  of  artificial 
flowers,  and  wearing  wigs  of  real  hair ;  and 
the  women  in  black  veils  literally  lying  on  the 
floor  before  them,  absorbed  in  prayer. 

In  San  Isidro  are  images  life  size,  painted 
the  colour  of  nature,  representing  the  Descent 
from  the  Cross.  Of  these  things  I  can  say  no 
more ;  I  can  only  be  thankful  for  a  religion  by 


which  so  many  regulate  their  lives  decently, 
and  in  whose  dogmas  they  implicitly  believe. 

As  to  the  houses,  they  are  large,  and,  as 
the  Spaniard  loves  all  things,  grandiose  in 
appearance ;  the  rooms  are  built  round  a 
/)afio,  or  courtyard,  in  which  are  shrubs  and 
fountains;  I  have  not  seen  a  single  room 
which  contained  a  fireplace.  Much  is  said 
about  the  Spaniards  smoking  continually;  it 
is  true  they  smoke  a  great  deal,  and  even 
light  their  cigarettes  at  table  during  dinner, 
but  the  tobacco  they  use  is  so  mild  that  I,  at 
least,  have  never  found  it  objectionable. 

The  next  celebrated  thing  about  which  we 
have  all  heard  is  the  fan,  and  this  is  the  inse- 
parable companion  of  every  Spanish  woman 
outdoors  and  in,  young  and  old,  high  and  low, 
from  the  child  of  four  years  old  to  the  tottering 
match-seller  of  seventy,  from  the  queen  to  the 
washer-woman. 

The  fans  are  small,  and  their  chief  character- 
istic appears   to  be  the  ease  with  which  they 

D 


34 


A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


35 


Hi 


will  open  and  shut,  with  a  kind  of  jerk.  They 
seem  to  keep  time  to  their  conversations  with 
It,  like  the  accompaniment  of  a  piano,  and  fill 

up  th*  pauses  (if  any!)  with  their  rhythmical 
fluttering-s.  The  streets  are  cool  and  shady, 
r  )    shelter    is  required  for  the  eyes,  but 


n  ' 


th 


'  vi   1    .    i   i   i    1    I 


V  '  '  1  ^         I 


'  L»  ■ 


: )i. mine"    r<i\-s 


int  )  tnc  w  dcp/aza;  here  the  women  open  tir.r 
ian>  tu  ^hade  their  face^.,  ..:.  1  they  appcar 
ind:>pcnsable  to  their  existence. 

Tn  Madrid  the  men  strike  me  as  being  ugly 
and  commonplace ;  the  women  are  handsome 
enough,  and  their  eyes  and  hair  deserve  all 
that  can  be  said  in  praise  of  their  beauty,  but 
in  those  velvety  shadowy  orbits,  I  can  perceive 
no  glance  of  intellect  or  self-repression. 

In  Burgos  we  saw  a  wretched  troop  of  boy- 
soldiers,  whose  shoes  were  cut  away  on  the 
outside — for  coolness,  I  suppose.  It  was  pitiful 
to  see  them,  but  we  looked  in  vain  for  the 
grand  Castilian  air  of  which  we  have  read 
from  our  youth  up.     The  muleteer  still  exists, 


and  his  mules  wear  the  most  complicated 
head-gear  with  numerous  pleasant-sounding 
bells ;  but,  alas  for  sentiment !  the  muleteer 
liim  elf  greatly  resembles  an  English  mechanic. 


k  -:      '■)      t,     •    /~i 


whil-  ih*"^  plav'^fN  on   tl^p   "  lii^iit    iimVir 

a  gf^nrral  ianid\-  likeness  to   tno   beggars   \v:io 

hainit  >nir  area^  in  iJa-  :-Lrloa.^  ol  L.onduii.      But 


)>   aa 


wc  have  not  yet  seen  tiie  South.     Perhai 
these  dreams  of  poetry  and  r  iniance  may   yt  t 
be  realised  there. 

The  north  Spanish  accent  is  very  r  iiairk- 
able ;  each  speech  is  a  kind  ui  song  or  |joem  ; 
the  stress  is  always  the  same,  on  the  first  of 
every  two  syllables,  the  second  being  very 
short;  this  is  repeated  without  variation  for 
seven  syllables,  and  there  is  a  slight  pause  or 
drop  on  the  eighth ;  the  cadence  then  begins 
again,  and  another  drop  in  the  tone  is  heard 
when  the  sentence  finishes.  Thus  :  — -^^ — ^^ — 
N^ ,  — --^ — s >^ — .  The  very  news- 
paper vendors  and  fruit-sellers  in  the  streets 
offer  their  wares  in  this  kind  of  recitative,  the 

D    2 


3^ 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


37 


unendurable  beggars  at  every  corner  demand 
a  copper  in  the  same  way,  every  one  in  speak- 
ing seems  to  be  reciting  a  poem.  It  is  very 
pretty  at  first,  especially  in  the  mouths  of  the 
women,  but  I  can  imagine  one  would  get  tired 
of  it  after  a  time. 

But  the  beggars!  every  kind  of  deformity  is  to 
be  seen  in  the  streets,  every  form  of  importunity 
is  crone  through,  all  kinds  of  blessings  are 
invoked  on  the  head  of  the  giver  of  a  cuarto,  all 
kinds  of  curses  on  him  who  withholds  his  hand. 
Everywhere  in  \\iQ  plaza  there  is  chatting,  flirt- 
ing, bargaining— men  lying  asleep  In  the  shade 
amid  piles  of  water-melons  and  other  fruit, 
women,  in  gay-coloured  handkerchiefs,  drawing 
water  from  the  grey  old  fountains,  changing 
light  and  shade,  sleepy  mules,  heavy-hatted 
men  with  brilliant  draperies  over  one  shoulder 
a  scene  which  it  would  be  difficult  to   realise 

in  paint. 

The   Academia  di   San    Fernando    contains 
the    finest   specimens    of  Murillo    I    have   yet 


seen,    and   he  equals.  If  not  surpasses  Velas- 
quez   in  glory   of  colour,    while   his    pictures 
possess   more  atmosphere   than  those  of  any 
other    painter.       His    colour    is    radiant,    his 
shadows  transparent,  his  figures  advance  and 
retire  into  the  canvas  as  they  would  do  in  air. 
The  two  semicircular  paintings  here— represent- 
ing the  Roman  patrician  who,  in  consequence  of 
a  dream,  founded  the  Church  of  Santa  Maria 
Magglore,  in  Rome— are  in  mvhiiml^le  opinion 
superior   to    tho    mnro  celebrateil    i'lii    iiarder 
});ctuiv^  of  ^' Saint  Klizabfth,  Oueen  of  llun-ar)-, 
healing  the  Lepers."     No  words  can  convey 
an  idea  of  the  splendour  of  these  paintings. 
There  are  several  other  good  pictures,  among 
a  great  deal  of  rubbish,  in  this  collection. 

In  a  street  called  the  "  Rastro "  a  most 
remarkable  market  or  fair  is  held  once  a  week, 
which  I  should  advise  no  stranger  to  miss 
seeing.  For  the  length  of  about  half  a  mile 
the  street  is  crowded  with  booths,  amid  which 
people  in  the  most  brilliant  colours,  donkeys 


38 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


laden  with  melons,  and  gaily-caparisoned  mules 
force  their  way.  Every  imaginable  article  is 
sold  there,  from  guns,  pistols,  swords,  furni- 
ture, tapestry,  and  books,  to  pots,  pans,  combs, 
ribbons,  and  cold  water.  It  is  noticeable  that 
no  Spaniard  ever  tries  to  persuade  you  to  buy, 
yet  always  asks  twice  the  price  he  intends 
to  take  for  any  of  his  wares  you  may  w^ish 
to  purchase.  The  life  and  animation,  colour 
and  variety  of  this  scene  are  wonderful.  We 
were  the  only  foreigners  there,  and  were  taken 
for  Frenchwomen ;  to  be  English  in  France  is 
to  be  looked  down  upon — here  we  were  only 
curiosities.  Many  curios  are  to  be  picked  up 
in  the  Rastro  still,  if  one  only  has  time  and 
patience  to  search. 

The  heat  in  the  sun  during  the  month  of 
September  is  tremendous,  and  the  shops  are 
shut  during  the  middle  of  the  day,  but  in 
the  shade  it  is  cool  and  pleasant.  I  have 
WTitten  all  these  particulars  because  we  had 
such   great   difficulty    in    finding    out   any   of 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


39 


these  minor  facts  about  Spain  before  we  came, 
and  they  guide  one  greatly  as  to  what  kind  of 
wardrobe  to  bring.  One  of  the  favourite 
«*  on  aits''  in  England  is  that  the  use  of  the 
mantilla  is  dying  out.  I  can  only  say  that 
scarcely  a  bonnet  or  hat  is  to  be  seen  in  the 
streets  of  Madrid  at  the  present  time.  Our  hats 
attract  considerable  attention,  but  no  rudeness 

or  remarks. 

We  made  an  excursion  to  the  Museo  every 
Sunday,  because  it  was  free ;  on  all  other  days 
half   a  peseta  each   is  charged  for  admission. 
The  pictures  by  Rubens  are  very  numerous  and 
fine.     His  great  works  here  are  **  The  Brazen 
Serpent,"  and  **The  Garden  of  Love."     The 
first  stands  second  only  to  his  **  Descent  from 
the  Cross,"  in  Antwerp  Cathedral.     The  look 
of  illness    and    hopelessness   on    the  face  of 
the  sick  woman  whom  a  man  is  holding  up  to 
gaze  at    the   brazen   image,   is   inexpressibly 
pathetic.    Rubens  has  many  faults,  notably  his 
tortured  and  twisted  forms  and  red  shadows, 


40 


A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


but  he  is  a  great  master  after  all.  Vandyke 
comes  out  nobly  here ;  some  of  his  portraits  run 
Velasquez  very  hard,  especially  that  of  Eckaert 
the  painter. 

Titian  is  grand  and  sublime.  As  usual, 
his  portraits  appear  to  represent  noblemen 
only,  while  his  Venuses  and  Danaes  remind 
one  of  nothing  so  much  as  the  Venus  of  Milo, 
or  her  namesake  of  the  Capitol  ;  the  same 
grand  style,  the  same  broad  modelling  which 
the  ancient  Greeks  admired  and  reproduced, 
characterise  him  also.  His  equestrian  portrait 
of  Charles  V.  is  a  grand  historical  work,  very 
noble  and  broad.  Ribera  has  some  most 
powerful  heads  here,  and  that  truly  Spanish 
painter,  Juan  de  Juanes,  is  well  worth  study  : 
he  recalls  Giorgione  in  the  richness  of  his 
colouring. 

The  world-renowned  **  Spasimo  "  of  Raphael 
excels  in  expression,  but  alas,  for  the  flesh 
tints  !  they  are  more  like  the  tints  of  ma- 
hogany  than    anything    else.       **La    Perla'* 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


41 


suffers    from    the    same    defect,    but    '^The 
Virgin  of  the  Fish"  is  in  another  and  better 

manner. 

There  Is  a  fine  Rembrandt  here,  in  his  early 
and  most  finished  style— "Queen  Artemisia 
about  to  swallow  the  Ashes  of  her  Husband," 
signed  and  dated  ''  1634,  Rembrandt,  F." 
-  Christ  in  Hades,"  by  Sebastiano  del  Piombo, 
is  a  powerful  and  magnificent  picture. 

Of  the  fifty-three  Teniers  what  can  I  say  ?— 
they  are  all  more  or  less  good,  very  Dutch  of 
course,  and  excellent  in  colour.  I  must  repeat 
emphatically  that  the  pictures  in  the  Museo  at 
Madrid  have  suffered  less  at  the  hands  of  the 
restorer  than  those   of  any  other  gallery   in 

Europe. 

The  shocking  inundations  at  Consuegra  oc- 
curred while  we  were  here.  Nothing  else  was 
talked  about,  but,  on  the  whole,  the  Madrilenos 
took  the  misfortune  very  quietly.  The  flood 
came  down  in  the  middle  of  the  night,  and  the 
poor  creatures  who  survived  were  for  a  long 


42 


A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


time  without  clothes,  food  or  shelter.  Between 
fifteen  hundred  and  two  thousand  human  lives 
were  lost,  and  countless  horses,  cattle,  and 
sheep.  The  greatest  trouble  was  to  get  rid  of 
the  dead  bodies  ;  however,  they  burnt  them 
at  last.  Charity  was  not  wanting,  but  the 
chief  need  was  a  head — someone  to  organise 
and  direct. 

I  relate  with  disgust  that  I  went  to  a  bull- 
fight, in  the  Plaza  de  Toros.  Everyone  said, 
•*  To  know  Spain  thoroughly,  you  must  go  to  a 
bull-fight/'  Having  seen  one,  I  emphatically 
say,  **  Don't.''  In  England  we  avoid  the 
butcher*s  shambles ;  when  we  go  to  this  scene 
we  seek  it.  The  affair  is  held  in  an  amphi- 
theatre, like  the  Colosseum  in  Rome,  exposed 
to  the  open  air  ;  for  the  seats  you  pay  as  to 
whether  there  is  soly  sol  y  sombra,  or  sombray 
the  latter  being  most  expensive.  Our  guide 
first  took  us  to  see  the  dra^nalis  persojicE — 
horses,  matadors  or  espadas,  toreadors  or 
toreros,  banderilleros,  and  picadors.  The  horses 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


43 


(I  mention  them  first  as  being  the  noblest 
animals)  are  used-up  cab  horses,  blindfolded. 
The  picadors  are  on  horseback ;  it  is  their  busi- 
ness to  spear  the  bull.  The  toreadors  and 
matadors  are  on  foot,  most  gorgeously  equipped 
in  garments  heavy  with  gold  and  silver  em- 


Bull-fight. 

broidery  ;  the  former  have  the  red  cloaks  with 
which  to  irritate  the  animal,  and  the  latter  kill 
him ;  while  it  is  the  duty  of  the  banderilleros  to 
stick  barbed  darts,  laden  with  fireworks,  into  the 
neck,  to  infuriate  him  whenever  he  gets  slug- 
gish.   A  priest  and  surgeon  are  in  waiting,  lest 


44 


A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


their  services  should  be  required.  The  pro- 
gramme announced  that  six  bulls  were  to  be 
sacrificed  this  day. 

The  amphitheatre,  holding  about  15,000 
persons,  was  crowded,  but  I  am  glad  to  say 
very  few  women  were  present.  To  the  sound 
of  trumpets,  the  police,  magnificently  attired 
in  old-fashioned  Spanish  costumes  of  black 
velvet,  came  in,  and  rode  round  the  course 
to  see  that  all  was  in  order  ;  then  followed 
a  procession  of  matadors,  toreadors,  &c.,  and 
the  gaily-caparisoned  mules  which  drag  off  the 
dead  bull.  The  men  all  saluted  the  president 
profoundly,  and  asked  for  the  key  of  the  torily 
or  place  where  the  bulls  are  kept.  This  was 
thrown  down  to  them,  and  the  sport  commenced 
in  earnest. 

A  bull  wildly  entered  the  arena,  and  the 
two  men,  mounted  on  those  miserable  blinded 
hacks,  proceeded  to  drive  their  spears  into  him. 
He,  of  course,  repaid  the  wounds  given  by  the 
lances  to   the   horses,    tossing  them  over  and 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


45 


causing    their  riders  many  a  nasty  fall.     The 
horses  were  absolutely  disembowelled,  and  the 
brutes  of  men  remounted   these  poor   beasts 
and  continued  to  ride  them  with  their   bowels 
hanging  half  a  yard  out,  and  one  with  a  huge 
gash  in   its  thigh.     The   blinded  horses  were 
actually  put  in  the  way  of  the  enraged  bull  in 
order  to  gratify  the  people's  craving  for  ex- 
citement and  blood.    At  the  sound  of  a  trumpet 
the  poor  animals  were  withdrawn,  I  hoped  to  be 
killed,  but  I  have  since  heard  they  are  sewn 
up  to  serve  for  another  day's  sport.     Then  the 
toreros  began  to  tease  the  bull  by  throwing 
red  cloaks   over  him  ;  when    he  attempted  to 
chase  them,  they  ran  nimbly  behind  a  shelter, 
or  jumped  over  the  barricade.     Their  attire  was 
most  gorgeous,  and  they  were,  without  excep- 
tion, young  and  well-made  men,  but  I  think  I 
could  detect  great  traces  of  pallor  in  their  cheeks. 
The    banderilleros  then    advanced,   and    they 
certainly  ran  great  risk  in  trying  to  stick  their 
barbs,  laden  with  fireworks,  into  the  animal's 


46 


A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER, 


47 


neck,  the  rules  of  the  art  of  Tauromachia 
requiring  that  they  should  stand  in  front  of 
him  ;  however,  they  succeeded  at  last,  and  the 
fireworks  exploded,  but  the  bull  was  not  so 
frightened  as  one  would  expect.  He  retired 
to  the  edge  of  the  arena  so  as  to  have  no 
enemy  behind  him,  and  the  matador  advanced, 
trying  to  put  his  Toledan  blade  into  the 
spinal  marrow. 

This  is  the  real  danger,  as  science  prescribes 
certain  formulae  according  to  which  it  must  be 
done ;  on  this  occasion  it  took  half  an  hour  and 
many  stabs  before  the  deed  was  done ;  once  the 
human  brute  left  his  sword  sticking  in  the 
animal's  neck  without  much  effect.  At  last  he 
lay  down,  and  the  performer  stuck  a  dagger 
in  his  neck  and  released  him  from  his  torture. 
The  mules  then  dragged  the  carcass  from  the 
scene. 

The  second  bull  was  immediately  let  out, 
but  the  audience  did  not  think  him  worthy  of 
the  arena,  because  he   fled  from  the  picador 


■I 


when  he  advanced  to  spear  him  ;  the  hissing, 
screaming,  shouting,  waving  of  handkerchiefs, 
some  on  the  ends  of  sticks,  and  throwing  up  of 


Banderillero, 


hats,  made  a  scene  of  excitement  altogether  in- 
describable. Again  the  same  hideous  perform- 
ance, the  same  disembowelling  of  the  horses, 


I 


48 


A  SCAMPER  THROUGH 


the  same  teasing  the  doomed  animal,  the  same 
delay  in  giving'  him  the  coup  de  grace.  We  could 
bear  no  more,  and  left  the  disgraceful  scene. 

I  advise  anyone  who  goes  to  Spain,  not  to 
repeat  my  experience.  The  scene  is  not  fit  for 
English  eyes,  and  if  it  were  not  superstitious 
I  would  say.  No  wonder  the  curse  of  God  is  on 
these  cruel  people.  I  can  see  but  little  bravery 
or  courage  in  it ;  the  men  in  fine  clothes  cer- 
tainly risk  their  lives  slightly,  and  during  the 
performance  a  collection  is  made  for  their 
possible  widows  ;  still  the  animal  never  has  a 
chance — the  whole  thing  is  cowardly  and  un- 
sportsman-like.  If  the  performers  were  not  so 
gorgeously  apparelled,  I  doubt  if  any  one  would 
go  to  see  a  bull-fight.  Certainly  they  are  good- 
looking  after  a  fashion,  have  agile  figures,  and 
are  clothed  in  wonderfully  rich  costumes,  and 
rich  costumes,  even  on  the  Virgen  Santissima, 
tell  greatly  with  the  Spaniards. 

One  can  judge  by  the  terrible  excitement 
of  the  crowded  Plaza  de  Toros  that  the  people 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


49 


insist  on  having  these  shows ;  the  only  way 
to  eradicate  their  cruel  taste  would  be  to 
substitute  some  less  revolting  but  equally 
exciting  exhibition.  I  could  find  nothing  in  the 
affair  to  justify  its  being  called  a  *' fight;  "  it 
is  simply  a  massacre  of  bulls  and  horses,  with 
a  bad  chance  for  the  men.  In  our  short  expe- 
rience we  saw  four  horses  destroyed,  two  bulls 
killed,  and  a  man  wounded.  It  is  said  that 
each  corrida  costs  upwards  of  ^400,  and  that 
the  number  of  bulls  killed  annually  in  this 
manner  in  Spain  is  nearly  three  thousand.* 

The  Buen  Retiro  is  a  crowded  promenade, 
where  the  stunted  trees  are  kept  alive  by  c  3n- 
tinual  irrigation ;  it  reminds  one  of  Paris. 
The  royal  palace  is  an  imposing  square  build- 


*  << 


It  is  intensely  difiBcult,  even  when  one  tries  to  look  at 
the  matter  from  a  Spanish  point  of  view,  divesting  oneself  of 
all  insular  prejudice  and  sentiment,  to  see  what  vahd  defence 
of  bull-fighting  can  be  set  up.  The  brutal  horrors  of  some 
portions  of  the  scene  defy  description,  while  the  degrading 
immorality  of  the  whole  is  patent  throughout,  and  there  is 
withal  little  that  is  brave  or  even  clever." — Lomas's  Sketches 
m  Spain. 


50 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER, 


51 


ing,  to  which  we  could  not  obtain  admittance ; 
but  we  visited  the  stables,  where  are  kept  three 
hundred  horses  and  some  very  splendid  car- 
riages, and  saw  the  usual  pageantry  of  horse- 
trappings,  which    are  said   to  be    Moorish   in 

style. 

We  also  went  through  the  Campo  del  Jardin 
del  IMoro  to  the  river  Mazanares,  which  after 
some  trouble  we  discovered,  it  being,  after  the 
fashion  of  Spanish  rivers,  more  sand  than 
water.  However,  we  recognised  it  by  a  bridge 
passing  over  it,  the  number  of  women  washing 
in  the  muddy  little  stream,  and  the  acres  of 
clothes  hanging  out  to  dry,  for  the  washer- 
women of  the  Mazanares  are  celebrated. 

The  most  interesting  part  of  Madrid  to  me  is 
the  street  scenes ;  in  the  lower  quarters  the  life 
and  movement  are  wonderful.  Mules  with  the 
gayest  and  most  elaborate  trappings,  which,  like 
our  own  fine  adornments,  seem  more  a  burden 
than  a  satisfaction  ;  women  in  bright  garments, 
riding  on  donkeys  laden  with  yellow  paniers 


* 

i 


full  of  fruit ;  men  in  short  jackets,  with  yards  of 
stuff  round  their  waist  which  they  use  as  a 
pocket  in  front ;  girls  with  fans  held  up  to  shade 
their  eyes  from  the  sun  ;  policemen  with  swords 
and  pistols ;  black-eyed  scnoras  wearing  man- 
tillas, walking  gravely  to  the  numerous  functions 
in  the  churches ;  houses  gaily  painted  every 
imaginable  colour,  dry  dusty  crowded  streets, 
and  little  squares  with  a  few  stunted  trees  in 
them,  which,  by  perpetual  watering,  they  strive 
to  keep  alive — such  is  Madrid.  The  soldiers 
wear  sandals  on  their  naked  feet,  and  the  mili- 
tary music  is  decidedly  Moorish. 

The  outskirts  of  Madrid  remind  me  of 
nothing  so  much  as  the  parched  plains  and 
thick,  dusty  roads  of  Australia,  to  which 
country  much  of  Castile  bears  a  striking 
resemblance.  There  is  but  little  rain  here, 
and  when  it  comes,  the  museums,  places  of 
amusement,  &c.,  are  closed  ! 

The  abstinence  of  the  people  is  remarkable  ; 
the  workman   goes   to   his   work  taking  with 

E  2 


52 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER, 


53 


him  a  jar  of  water  as  an  accompaniment  to 
the  bread  and  melon  which  constitute  his  mid- 
day meal ;  glasses  of  cold  water  are  sold  in  the 
street,  and  even  the  excitement  of  the  bull-fight 
has  no  other  palliative  than  the  natural  element, 
which  is  here  so  delicious.  Beside  the  trains 
at  the  station  the  only  refreshment  sold  is 
water,  and  under  the  trees  in  the  Prado  it  is 
the  staple  drink. 

As  to  food,  they  appear  to  eat  everything : 
I  have  seen  octopus,  melon-seeds,  pine-seeds, 
and  even  hips  and  haws  among  the  edibles  for 
sale.  The  poverty  of  the  Spaniards  is  con- 
spicuous on  every  side — it  almost  excites  com- 
passion ;  yet  they  seem  happy — happier  than 
we  are  in  our  wealthy  island. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


EL    ESCORIAL. 


One  bright  day  when  the  stainless  sky  hung 
blue  overhead  like  a  measureless  sapphire, 
we  started  for  the  Escorial,  that  wondrous 
mass  of  architecture  which  Philip  II.  seems  to 
have  hewn  out  of  the  solid  rock.  It  is  said 
very  few  persons  ever  return.  They  either  die 
of  consumption  in  two  or  three  days,  or,  if  they 
are  Englishmen,  blow  out  their  brains.  The 
first  adventure  was  that  the  booking-clerk  at 
the  railway  station  could  not  give  change  for  a 
twenty-five  peseta^  note,  the  second  that  the 
porter  could  not  read  on  the  ticket  the  class  we 
were  travelling  !  At  last  the  train  started, 
and  we  traversed  once  more  those  dreary,  arid 

*  K  peseta  is  nearly  equal  in  value  to  a  franc. 


54 


A    SCAMPER   THROUGH 


plains,  whose  waterless  gullies,  brown  hills, 
strangely-shaped  granite  boulders,  and  weird, 
grey-coloured  trees  remind  one  so  strongly 
of  the  far  Australian  bush,  and  in  two  hours 
had  accomplished  the  thirty-one  miles  which 
lead  to  the  village  of  El  Escorial.  We 
lunched  capitally  at  ''  La  Miranda,"  and 
then  visited  the  huge  pile,  which  looks  more 
like  a  fortress  than  anything  else.  Of  course, 
it  is  built  of  the  splendid  granite  which  lies 
in  huge,  ungainly  masses  all  around ;  in  the 
backorround  are  the  blue  and  ever-bluer 
heights  of  the  Guadarramas. 

Everyone  knows,  I  suppose,  that  the  Esco- 
rial is  a  church,  palace,  monastery,  mausoleum, 
and  museum  all  in  one  ;  it  covers  500,000 
feet,  has  1,200  doors,  86  staircases,  2,673 
windows  (I  did  not  count  them),  and  every- 
thing about  it  is  colossal.  The  church  is  an 
example  of  Doric  architecture  in  perfection  ; 
solid  granite  piers  support  a  solid  granite 
roof,    the    steps    of    the    high    altar    are    of 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER, 


55 


jasper ;  there  are  some  very  appropriate  but 
not  particularly  fine  frescoes,  some  good 
pictures  by  Navarete,  whose  masterpieces  they 
are,  a  choir  elevated  far  above  the  altar, 
containing  the  seat  where  Philip  usually  sat, 
having  near  a  secret  door  where  entered  the 
messengers  who  told  him  the  news — which  he 
heard  unmoved — of  the  defeat  of  the  Armada, 
and  victory  of  Navarino  ;  splendid  old  books, 
a  yard  across,  of  the  same  date  as  the  church ; 
the  tomb  of  the  late  Queen  Mercedes  lighted 
by  a  single  lamp  ;  these  are  the  chief  impres- 
sions I  bore  away. 

The  library  contains  some  rare  examples 
of  illuminated  missals,  and  copies  of  the 
Koran  in  its  elegant  Arabian  caligraphy. 
The  cloisters  are  sombre  and  gloomy;  the 
palace  contains  fine  specimens  of  Flemish, 
French,  and  Spanish  tapestry,  elegant  and  in 
good  taste.  The  rooms  where  Philip  himself 
lived  are  plain  in  the  extreme ;  his  bedroom, 
like  many  in  Spain,  has  not  a  single  window, 


56 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


and  the  little  room  In  which  he  died,  opens  on 
to  the  high  altar  of  the  church,  so  that  he 
might  hear  Mass  as  he  expired. 

In  the  choir  is  the  celebrated  life-sized 
figure  of  the  Crucifixion  by  Benvenuto  Cellini ; 
wonderful  in  execution  like  most  works  by 
that  master,  it  is  too  ornamental  to  express 
any  serious  religious  feeling.  Cellini  himself 
admired  this  work  of  his  exceedingly,  but  as 
he  was  in  the  habit  of  liking  all  his  own  pro- 
ductions amazingly,  and  did  not  hesitate  to 
say  so,  it  counts  for  nothing. 

The  Pantheon,  designed  evidently  in  imitation 
of  the  Medici  tombs  in  San  Lorenzo,  Florence, 
is  magnificent  in  marbles.  The  sarcophagi  of 
the  kings  on  the  right  hand,  and  the  mothers 
of  kings  on  the  left,  are  of  gray  marble, 
ornamented  with  gilt  bronze,  each  packed 
away  on  its  separate  shelf,  six  in  a  row ;  among 
them  is  the  late  King  Alfonso  XII.  The 
tombs  of  the  Infantes,  called  sometimes  '*E1 
Pudridero,"    are   of  white   marble   elaborately 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


57 


carved ;  there  are  more  receptacles  prepared 
than  there  ever  will  be  Spanish  kings  and 
queens  to  fill,  I  think.  Some  of  the  children 
are  packed  away  in  huge,  white  marble  con- 
structions, something  like  exaggerated  wed- 
ding-cakes. 

There  are  two  recumbent  statues  which 
I  admired  :  chiefly,  one  of  a  Duchess  de 
Montpensier  reading,  by  Aime  Millet,  the 
great  French  sculptor  ;  it  is  exquisitely 
modelled  and  finished.  I  also  liked  the 
heralds  in  marble,  standing  at  the  doors, 
bearing  the  escutcheons  of  the  buried 
monarchs.  Of  course,  we  saw  Philip's  chair, 
inkstand,  and  missal.  It  is  said  there  are 
about  two  hundred  monks  here  still  of  the 
Order  of  the  Jeronimites. 

Some  of  the  rooms  in  the  palace  are  hung 
with  needlework  on  satin,  done  by  hand,  and 
in  each  there  were  numerous  clocks  which  one 
of  the  kings  had  a  fancy  for  collecting.  What 
strikes  one  is  the  extremely  new  appearance  of 


iiiiiiiiiiaaaaiaitt  lifaiiiffiiMi 


58 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


59 


all  these  objects ;  the  Escorial  is  more  than 
three  hundred  years  old,  yet  everything  in  it 
looks  as  if  it  were  finished  yesterday ;  in  this 
light,  dry  atmosphere  even  the  gold  and  steel 
locks  remain  untarnished.  Before  the  high 
altar  of  the  church  is  a  bier,  surmounted  by  a 
crown  and  covered  with  a  pall ;  this  represents 
Philip  II. 's  bier,  and  Mass  is  daily  said  before 
it  still  for  the  repose  of  his  soul. 

**  Draw  the  curtain  down, 
And  let  us  hence  to  meditation." 

Comine  back  to  Madrid  there  were  two 
armed  gendarmes  in  the  train  to  protect  the 
passengers.  I  have  seen  them  in  every  train 
I  have  travelled  in,  and  at  all  the  principal 
stations  two  march  up  and  down  the  platform. 
This  arrangement  appears  to  be  necessary,  for 
a  railway  official,  travelling  in  a  first-class  com- 
partment alone,  has  just  been  stabbed  and. 
robbed,  and  the  villain  has  escaped.  The  poor 
victim   shortly   died    of   fever   caused    by  his 


wounds  ;  all  this  happened  within  a  few  miles 
of  Madrid. 

The  intense  heat  of  the  summer  months  may 
be  gathered  from  these  observations  : — the  few 
trees  the  Madrilenos  can  boast  of  are  planted 
in  holes  in  rows  :  between  each  hole  runs  a 
waterpipe,  and  so  by  turning  on  the  water 
at  the  highest  part,  the  whole  plantation  is 
irrigated  ;  and  the  public  gardens  are  laid  out 
in  little  square  patches  made  to  hold  water. 
When  the  rains  commence  they  are  tropically 
heavy,  and  the  whole  country  is  cut  into  little 
gutters  where  the  water  has  run  down  and 
made  channels  for  itself. 

Sketching  in  the  street  is  always  a  trial  of 
temper.  Happily  the  people  here  are  not 
quite  so  bad  as  either  French  or  Italians  ;  they 
come  and  look  at  your  work,  and  pass  on  in  a 
contented  lazy  kind  of  way.  Of  course,  the 
boys  are  a  nuisance,  but  if  one  is  good-natured 
sketching  is  quite  possible  about  Madrid. 
The  police  seem  a  respectable  body  of  men. 


6o 


A    SCAMPER   THROUGH 


but  their  services  were  not  necessary  in  any 
sketching-  expedition  of  ours.  For  six  francs 
a  day  one  can  live  very  well  here. 

The  view  of  the  Sierra  Guadarrama  from  the 
city  is  splendid;  the  mountains  are  of  that 
intense  blue,  varying  to  the  lightest  azure, 
which  is  only  to  be  seen  In  this  or  an  equally 
dry  atmosphere.  Madrid  has  the  reputation 
of  being  unpicturesque,  but  some  of  the  houses 
in  the  older  parts  remind  one  of  old  Rome, 
and     are      well     worthy     of     the     sketcher's 

pencil. 

As  the  Picture  Gallery  was  our  first  object, 
so  it  was  our  last.  In  making  a  farewell  tour 
we  went  to  the  Sculpture  Gallery,  containing, 
among  other  statues,  some  of  Canova's  best 
work,  and  two  portraits  of  the  celebrated 
Isabel  in  crinoline  and  flounces,  one  holding  up 
a  baby.  For  bad  taste  these  figures  exceed 
anything  to  be  seen  even  in  London.  The 
Museo  also  contains  a  collection  of  modern 
Spanish   pictures,  painted  in  Rome,  most    of 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER, 


6i 


which   came   from  the   French    Exhibition    of 
i88g. 

Velasquez  had  lost  none  of  his  charm : 
his  freedom  and  mastery  of  execution  still 
seemed  little  short  of  miraculous;  Murillo  was 
as  atmospheric  and  divine  as  ever,  and  the 
pictures  of  Juan  de  Juanes,  though  hard,  still 
appeared  fine,  and  reminded  me  of  Raphael. 
I  was  glad  to  find  the  first  impression  correct. 
I  have  not  mentioned  the  rich  collection  of 
valuable  vases,  &c.,  in  the  long  room,  many 
by  Benvenuto  Cellini,  because  no  one  who 
loves  painting  can  spare  them  any  attention, 
placed  as  they  are,  in  the  midst  of  such  noble 
pictures. 

The  beggars  are  certainly  unspeakable ; 
every  kind  of  deformity  which  ought  to  be 
sheltered  and  cared  for,  is  here  exposed  to  view 
as  an  incentive  to  charity.  Some  take  up  a 
prominent  position  on  the  pavement  and  there 
perform  their  family  duties;  others  stand  about, 
enjoying  the  sun,  and  as  you  approach   seem 


62 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


suddenly  smitten  with  the  idea  that  they  might 
as  well  have  a  copper  out  of  you  if  they  can 
get  it  by  importunity,  so  they  try  for  it— not  so 
much  that  they  want  the  money  but  that  they 
would  regret  it  if  they  lost  an  opportunity. 

On    the   fete-day  (September    24th)    of  the 
sister  of  the  late  King  there  was  a  bull-fight 
held  for  a  charitable  purpose  ;  the  streets  were 
thronged  with  people,  and  the  day  was  kept  as 
a  general  holiday.     The  public  buildings  and 
most  of  the  palaces  were  hung  with  velvet  and 
gold  draperies  ;  the  police  wore  their  best  uni- 
forms—white breeches,  long  black  gaiters,  and 
cocked  hats,  while  one  division   stood  at   the 
street  corners,  wearing  swords  and    carrymg 
canes  with  tassels.      Over  all   was  a  brilliant 
blue  sky,  of  that  intense,  hard,  hopeless-look- 
ing blue  never  seen  out  of  Spain,  and  a  fiery 

sun. 

The  principal  traffic  in  Madrid  is  carried  on 
by  means  of  mules,  sometimes  very  richly 
caparisoned,  with  a  picture   painted  on   their 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER, 


63 


wooden  collars.  Women  and  donkeys  do 
nearly  all  the  work  in  Spain.  The  large  tri- 
angular stirrups  seen  in  Titian's  and  Velasquez* 
pictures  are  still  in  common  use.  Madrid 
divides  its  time  between  the  church  and  the 
bull-fight ;  no  wonder,  therefore,  Spain  is  about 
three  hundred  years  behind  every  other  Euro- 
pean nation.  The  people  seem  to  be  up  early 
and  late:  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning  and 
two  at  night  I  hear  the  same  noise  of  traffic  in 
the  streets,  and  constant  talking  in  the  cafes ; 
in  the  latter,  by  the  way,  ices  and  cakes,  and 
the  inevitable  water  are  the  chief  refreshments, 
partaken  of  even  by  men. 

An  American  lately  cut  the  principal  figure 
out  of  a  picture  by  Murillo  in  a  church  here, 
and  sold  it  to  a  gentleman  in  America.  The 
Spaniards  found  and  claimed  it,  and  it  was 
generously  given  back  by  the  purchaser,  and 
restored  to  its  place  in  the  picture.  There  is 
a  picture  by  Murillo  advertised  for  now  at  the 
Gallery,  which  has  been  stolen. 


6+ 


A    SCAMPER  THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER, 


5; 


The  Spaniards  are  rather  a  short  race  of 
people ;  the  men  have  good  figures,  which  they 
retain  late  in  life  owing  to  their  extreme  absti- 
nence ;  their  chief  defect  is  that  their  shoulders 
are  very  sloping.  The  women  are  large  in  the 
head,  as  a  rule ;  it  is  a  great  pity  they  wear  so 
much  powder  as  to  make  their  complexions 
look  almost  blue.  The  peasants,  both  men 
and  women,  have  what  is  commonly  called  an 
aristocratic  air,  and  their  unrestrained  attitudes 
and  freedom  of  gesture  give  them  a  sculptu- 
resque appearance.  This  is  emphasized  by  a 
piece  of  drapery,  a  coat  or  cloak,  generally 
hanging  over  the  left  shoulder. 


CHAPTER  V. 


TOLEDO. 


At  six  o'clock  one  evening  we  left  Madrid  for 
Toledo,  a  distance  of  thirty-one  miles,  which 
it  took  four  hours  to  accomplish ;  fare,  four 
pesetas  twenty  cctiiimos.  Perhaps  the  dreadful 
railw^ay  accident  at  Burgos  the  day  before, 
where  according  to  the  Spanish  papers — which 
had  no  news  of  the  event  till  twenty-four  hours 
after  it  had  occurred — twenty-two  people  were 
killed  and  forty  wounded,  had  something  to 
do  with  the  engine-driver's  extreme  caution. 

Railway  travelling  here  is  undoubtedly  very 
risky.  El  Liberal,  one  of  the  leading  papers, 
says: — "There  does  not  pass  a  month,  no,  not 
even  a  week,  without  our  having  to  lament  a 
catastrophe  on  the  Spanish  railwa)^s,  and  un- 
fortunately the  number  is  increasing." 

F 


66 


A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


67 


i( 


The  Hotel  de  Lino,  the  only  one  in  Toledo 
suited  to  other  nationalities  than  Spanish,  is 
very  comfortable  and  very  dear;  evidently 
wealthy  travellers  would  not  find  it  particu- 
larly difficult  to  go  through  Spain.  We,  how- 
ever, retired  from  the  hotel  to  a  modest  casa 
de  htiespcdes,  or  paision,  where  we  lived  as  best 
we  might  on  oleaginous  food  at  i\ve pesetas  a  day. 

The  first  impression    made    by   Toledo   on 
the    western    traveller   is   that   it    is   a    very 
remarkable  place,  even   now  bearing    strong 
traces  of  Moorish  influence.     Beginning  here, 
these  traces   increase   as   you  journey  south- 
ward ;    you    never    lose   them    again.      The 
badly-paved  streets  are  so  narrow  and  tortuous 
that  vehicles  seldom  go  through  them.     Every 
window,  even   those  of  the  highest  story,  is 
covered  with  a  reja,  or  railing,  and— what  I 

ought  to  have  said   first-the  walls  are    still 

intact,    pierced  at   intervals  with  picturesque 

gates. 

Toledo    has    one    especial    drawback,   the 


' 


i 


unparalleled  impudence  of  the  gaviim,  who 
run  after  you  everywhere,  asking  for  a  sou, 
or  a  centimito,  and  even  insult  you  for  no 
perceivable  cause.  They  are  as  persistent  as 
the  mosquitos,  and  beg  as  naturally  as  those 
noxious  insects  sting. 

Of  course,  our  first  visit  was  to  the  cathedral, 
w^hich,  though  neither  so  large  nor  so  hand- 
some as  that  of  Burgos,  is  by  some  considered 
in  better  taste  ;  at  any  rate,  it  is  simpler,  and 
has  the  advantage  of  possessing  magnificent 
stained-glass  windows.  The  choir  and  high 
altar  are  separated  from  the  aisles,  as  usual, 
spoiling  the  general  view;  the  retablo^  is  the 
finest  in  Spain,  and,  singular  as  it  may  seem  to 
praise  such  things  as  gilt  and  coloured  statues, 
is  really  magnificent.  Toledo  has  been,  in  its 
day,  a  great  centre  for  saints  and  miracles; 
there  are  still  to  be  seen  some  wonderful 
miracle-working  images  in  the  cathedral,  and 
their  shrines  are  hung  round  with    numerous 

*  The  reredos  or  screen  rising  from  the  high  altar. 

F    2 


> 


68 


A  SCAMPER   THROUGH 


viax  votive  offerings.    For  example,  if  a  person 
breaks  his  leg,  and  it  is  healed  after  a  prayer 
to  our  Lady  of  Misericordia,  the  happy  con- 
valescent hangs  up  a  little  waxen  leg  at  her 
shrine;  if  one's  eyes  grow  dim,  and  the  sight 
is  restored  after  intercession  with  her,  a  waxen 
representation    of   the  eyes    is  hung    up  to 
testify  to  her  efficacy.     There  is  shown  here  a 
miraculous  stone  on  which  the  Virgin  alighted 
when  she  came  down  to  present  San  Ildefonso 
with  a  chasuble,  which  was  formed  of  heavenly 
cloth;  this  the  devout  rub    their  fingers    on 
before  they  cross  themselves.     The  west  front 
is  a  marvel  of  architecture,  the  tower  inferior, 
and  a  classical  doorway  has  lately  been  added 
on  one  side !— such  is  modern  Spanish  taste. 
The  cloisters  are  fine,  running  round  a  J>aiio 
filled  with  flourishing  plants,  such  as  myrtles, 
oleanders,    cypresses,    and    vines.      We   will 
leave  the  cathedral  at  present-only  to  return 
for  a  more    detailed   inspection,    as  it  is   the 
pivot  on  which  all  Toledo  turns,  bigotry  and 


.^^4^ 


r.  ^,' J 


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1^ 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


09 


a 


pleasure  being  the  chief  characteristics  of  the 

Toledanos. 

Most  unfortunately  the  noble  Gothic  Church 
of  San  Juan  de  los  Reyes  is  suffering  from  the 
present  Spanish    craze  for  restoration,   and  a 
structure    of    loud  Moorish  design    is    being 
added  to  the  Gothic  cloisters,  which  have  the 
deserved  reputation  of  being  the  most  perfect 
of  their  kind  in  Europe.     From  what  we  were 
able  to  see,  amid  scaffolding  and  hoardings, 
the   interior  of  the  church  is  most  exquisite  ; 
the  exterior  is  also  extremely  beautiful ;  from 
the  walls  hang  a  number  of  chains,  suspended 
there   as  ex-voto  offerings   from    captives    de- 
livered from  the  Moors  after  the  conquest  of 
Granada.     The  carving  of  the  foliage  of  the 
capitals  and   cornices,  and  of  the  birds  and 
animals  which  nestle  amidst  it,  is  so  elaborate 
as  to  resemble  nature  itself;    the   quiet  grey 
colour  of  the  stone  helps  the  general  elegance 
of  effect.     High  up  in  the  angles  of  the  tran- 
sept   are  tribunes,    or    anibons,  for    the   royal 


Jr 


\ 


70 


A  SCAMPER   THROUGH 


family,  which  look  like  ivory-work.  It  is  truly 
said  that  Gothic  art  never  produced  anything 
more  suave,  more  elegant,  or  more  pure.  It 
alone  is  well  worth  the  journey  to  Toledo. 
I  much  fear,  however,  that  the  restoring  mania 
is  going  too  far,  and  that  the  glorious  Church 
of  San  Juan  de  los  Reyes  will  be  among  the 
greatest  sufferers. 

As  I  mentioned  before,  we  took  a  cuarto  in 
a    casa    de    hucspedcs   which     we    found    much 
cheaper  than  the  hotel.       The  cuarto  consists 
of  two  rooms,  one  leading  into  the  other  ;    the 
first   opens    out   of   a   covered    gallery  which 
surrounds  a  patio  open  to  the  sky,  filled  with 
shrubs,  and    having   three   wells    in    it;    you 
descend  two  steps  into  the  room,  after  passing 
through   an    elaborately  panelled   door,  made 
for  defence   rather    than    anything   else,    and 
havine  huo:e  bolts  and  locks. 

The  walls  are  whitewashed,  there  is  not  a 
fireplace  in  the  house  except  in  the  kitchen, 
the  floors  are   tiled,  and   the    small   windows, 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER.  7' 

barred  with    iron,  are  almost   beyond  reach  ; 
you  feel  as  if  you  were  living   in  a  convent. 
The  furniture  is  very  plain,  simply  chairs  and 
tables  enshrouded  in  white  dimity ;  there  is  an 
entire  absence  of  all  the  little  elegances  with 
which  English    rooms    are    filled.      In    medio 
tutissiinus,  &c.      Over   the  patio  is   a   kind  of 
sail  or  awning,  drawn  at  pleasure  to  keep  out 
the  sun  or  rain. 

One  can  judge  by  the  numerous  precautions 

•  against  it,  how  tremendous  the  heat  must  be 
in  summer;  even  in  September  the  sun  Is 
scorching,  and  it  is  almost  Impossible  to 
remain  exposed  to  his  rays  between  twelve 
and  four  o'clock.  The  windows  and  balconies 
which  project  from  nearly  every  house  are 
beautiful,  and  give  great  character  to  the 
streets  ;  the  heavy  doors,  dotted  with  huge  Iron 
or  bronze  nails,  very  remarkable  and  unlike 
anything  of  the  kind  to  be  seen  elsewhere. 
From  all  the  precautions  taken  for  security,  it 
is  evident  there  was  some  danger  in  Toledo 


7* 


A  SCAMPER  THROUGH 


at  one  time.  Once  the  capital  of  Spain,  it  has 
been  besieged  and  defended  many  a  time ;  of 
all  its  proud  pre-eminence  it  only  retains  the 
reputation  that  the  Spanish  spoken  there  is 
the  purest  in  the  whole  country. 

The  Hospital  de  Tavera  is  chiefly  noticeable 
for  its  four  beautiful  patios  ;  round  their  Doric 
pillars  vines  are  twining,  and  in  the  midst 
oleanders  bloom.  The  tomb  of  the  founder, 
Archbishop  Tavera,  is  not  without  merits — 
especially  those  of  expression  and  finish. 

On   Sunday  we  attended  High  Mass  in  the 
cathedral,   and   very  fine    it   was,    unlike   any 
Roman  Catholic  office  we  had  ever  seen  before. 
The   vestments   of  the   priests   were   emerald 
green  and  gold,  and  a  handsome   man  in  a 
white  wig    was   kept  constantly    employed  in 
heading  processions  round  the  outside  of  the 
hieh  altar,  and  to  and  fro  from  the  altar  to  the 
choir.     Add  to  this  acolytes  moving  about  in 
scarlet  robes,  women  in  black  mantillas  agitat- 
ing their  fans  and  **  effacing"  themselves,  as 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER, 


73 


,^ 


it  were,  on  the  floor,   and  men  in  picturesque 
garbs  leaning  on  their  long  sticks  behind  all, 
and  you  have  a  picture  easier  to  imagine  than 
describe.     The   music— for  which    two  organs 
were  used,  some  of  the  pipes  of  which  stand 
out  at  right  angles  from  the  instrument — was 
the  most   lively   ever   heard   in  church  ;  very 
quaint     and    characteristic    is    this     Spanish 
music,    and,    I  imagine,   unknown    out    of  its 
native  country.     The  ritual  seemed   singular, 
and  at  the  elevation  of  the  Host  a  whole  chime 
of  bells   rang  out  with  deafening  noise,   and 
the   sacristan  imperiously  exacted  of  us  that 
we  should  kneel. 

The  cathedral  is  more  impressive  on  the 
second  visit  than  on  the  first.  The  beautiful 
chapel  of  Santiago  recalls  that  of  the  Con- 
destable  in  Burgos,  so  pure  is  its  Gothic 
architecture;  '*  it  is  a  gem  of  taste  and 
elegance."  Before  the  altar  are  the  magni- 
ficent tombs  of  Don  Alvaro  de  Luna,  and  his 
wife,    Dona  Juana,  having  kneeling  life-sized 


74 


A    SCAMPER   THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND    TANGIER. 


75 


ficrures  at  the  corners.      Mention  should  also 
be  made  of  the  Muzarabic  Chapel,  founded  to 
preserve   In    all   its   purity  the   Gothic   ritual. 
It   is   chiefly  remarkable   for  a   contemporary 
fresco  of  the   conquest  of  Oran  by  Cardinal 
Cisneros.      The   women   in    church   are    most 
picturesque    objects  ;     sinking    on    the    bare 
stone  floor,  the  highest  and  lowest  continually 
acritate     their    fans,    and    their    faces    are    a 
study   of     devotional  expression;    all    classes 
here,  as  in  iMadrid,  carry  fans  ;  one  gets  irri- 
tated   with    seeing    and    hearing    them    per- 
petually. 

Of  all  the  entrances   to   the  cathedral,   the 

Puerta  de  los  Leones  is  the  most  exquisite; 
if  Michel  Angelo  had  seen  it  he  would  have 
found  it  more  worthy  of  being  the  gate  of 
Paradise  than  those  of  Ghiberti  at  the 
Baptistery,  Florence.  In  this,  and  in  the 
celebrated  rcjas  of  the  choir  and  altar,  are 
certain  evidences  of  Italian  influence  ;  the 
human  figures  in   that  of  the   choir  are  more 


'■fc 


k' 


}i 


than  worthy  of  Ghiberti' s  hand.     The  stained- 
glass  windows  are  a   dream    of  beauty ;  half 
the  glory  of  the  cathedral  consists  in  the  rich 
mellow    light  which    they  pour  on   floor    and 
shrine,   on  gilded  altar  and  on    richly-carved 
arch  and  pillar.     No  words  of  mine  can  convey 
an    idea — even    the   remotest — of  the    Gothic 
cathedrals   of    Spain,    their    size,     splendour, 
wealth   of   detail,    and    extraordinary   magni- 
ficence.     Those    who  have    courage    to   face 
Spanish  fare  and   Spanish    boys   may  see  for 
themselves ;  those  who  do  not  care  to  endure 
these  evils  can  gain  little  from  any  description. 
The   superstition  and   curious  morality  of  the 
Spaniards,  also,  must  be  studied  to  be  believed. 
There  is  very  little  hope  of  progress  here  for 
many  years  to  come.     Shut  in  by  the  Pyrenean 
mountains  and  the  encircling  seas,  Spain  is  at 
this  day  centuries  behind  the  other  nations  of 
Europe   in    civilisation,   and   Toledo   is   back- 
ward even   for   Spain.     As  yet  the  desire  for 
progress  has  not  awakened  in  her ;  how  then, 


-6 


A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


77 


till  she  recognises  what  is  wanting,  can  she 
endeavour  to  attain  it  ?  I  have  no  hope  for 
this  country  for  many  years  to  come.  I  trust 
the  ubiquitous  Cook  will  bring  many  more 
tourists  here,  and  teach  the  people  what 
Englishmen  really  are,  not  objects  of  curiosity 
and  insult,  but  gentlemen  who  say  what  they 
mean,  and  mean  what  they  say. 

"Imperial"    Toledo    is   like  a   proud    and 
beautiful  woman  who  is  entirely  uneducated. 
Splendidly  situated  on  a  steep  rock  crowned 
by  the  gigantic  fortress  of  the  Alcazar,  at  her 
feet  the  Tagus  and  the  barren  plains  of  Castile, 
she  presents  a  brave  appearance  to  the  world  ; 
within,  her  narrow  streets  and  sunless  alleys 
are  inhabited    by  people  who,  remembering 
only  the  legendary  glories  of  the  past,  think 
themselves  the    centre  of   the   universe,  and 
neither  know  of  nor  care  for  the  existence  of 
other    nations,   other    religions,   other    ideas, 

other  customs. 

To  them  a  foreigner  is  an  anomaly— a  thing 


i 


k 


\{ 


to  scoff  at  in  whatever  he  does  not  resemble 
them  exactly.  News  of  the  outside  world 
there  is  none  ;  and  the  only  modern  innovation 
they  have  adopted  is  that  favourite  indulgence 
of  towns  which  do  not  boast  the  ordinary 
requirements  of  civilised  life— electric  light. 

An  image  of  the  Virgin,  known  as  the 
*^  Black  Virgin,"  is  held  in  the  greatest  vene- 
ration in  Toledo,  and  said  to  be  one  of  the 
many  really  authentic  portraits ;  it  is  of  wood, 
much  darkened  by  time,  but  all  concealed 
except  the  face  and  hands  by  a  mass  of  silver 
tissue,  covered  with  jewels.  The  altar  is  of 
silver  gilt,  and  has  a  very  glittering  effect  in 
the  candlelight.* 

We  walked  all  round  the  walls,  examined 
the  gates,  and  thought  the  Puerta  del  Sol  the 
finest.    The  bridge  of  Alcantara  was  built  by  a 


*  (( 


The  Virgin  always  wears  in  Spain  the  royal  crown,  and 
ranks  as  a  queen.  She  has  a  household,  composed  of  the 
greatest  ladies  of  the  kingdom,  revenues,  landed  estates,  &c., 
and  her  toilettes  rival  those  of  the  most  extravagant  queens  in 
the  world."— O'Shea. 


n 


78 


A    SCAMPER  THROUGH 


Moor  to  replace  an  earlier  Roman  work,  and  is 
a  stupendous  erection.  An  incident  which  illus- 
trates the  Spanish  character  occurred  in  the 
Zocodover,-  the  principal  square  of  the  city. 
Two  boys  began  to  quarrel,  and  suddenly  the 
smaller  one  retired  backwards,  took  up  a  stone, 
so  large  he  could  scarcely  lift  it,  and  dashed  it 
at  the  other,  very  narrowly  missing  breaking 
his  leg.  The  other  began  to  cry,  a  crowd 
collected,  and  the  military — of  whom  there 
appear  to  be  a  great  many  here — interfered 
and  took  off  the  small  boy.  Both  countenances 
were  hideous  with  passion,  and  it  was  neces- 
sary to  interfere  promptly  to  prevent    a  fatal 

result. 

Watchmen,  called  '' serenos''  go  round  at 
night  in  every  street,  and  call  out  the  hours, 
and  what  kind  of  weather  it  is,  in  a  long 
monotonous  chant.  It  is  identically  the  same 
tone  as  that  in  which  the  mueddin  calls  the 
faithful  to  prayer,  from  the  top  of  his  minaret, 
in  the  East  at  the  present  day. 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER, 


79 


I 


4 


Spanish  women  walk  very  little ;   the  charm- 
ing  viiida   with    whom  we  are  lodging  never 
goes  out  except  to  church,   she  tells  us.     We 
are  living  exactly  as   the   natives  do,   a  thing 
very  difficult    for    English  stomachs;  no  dish 
ever    comes    to  table  in   which  rancid  oil  has 
not  been  used.    After  a  salad  is  made,  the  dish 
is    filled    up   with   water,    which   cannot   be    a 
wholesome  proceeding.     Marie  Bashkirtseff  in 
her  Diary  has  made  the  mistake  of  locating 
the  Rastro  in  Toledo.    That  picturesque  market 
is  not  here,  but  in   Madrid,   and  is  one  of  the 
things  best  worth  seeing   there.     Toledo  is  a 
perfect  labyrinth  of  narrow  streets ;  it  is  difficult 
to  find  your    way    because     there  is  never  a 
distant  view  to  be   obtained  of  anything  for  a 
landmark,   even  of  so  large  an  object   as  the 

cathedral. 

The  incessant  fiuttering  of  the  fan  by  the 
women  irritates  me  more  and  more;  they 
are  constantly  agitating  this  instrument  of 
torture;     it   gives  an  idea  of  that   ignorance 


8o 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


and  frivolity  which  are  but  too  truly  their 
characteristics.  Their  faces  are  very  beautiful, 
but  thev  are  nearlv  all  short  and  large-headed, 
which,  artistically  speaking,  are  great  faults. 

Vehicles  cannot  pass  through  the  narrow  and 
tortuous  streets,  except  with  great  difficulty  ;  so 
traffic  is  carried  on  by  mules  and  donkeys.  These 
animals  are  very  sketchable,  carrying  on  their 
backs  fruit,  bottles  of  water,  skins  of  wine,  and 
quantities  of  melons.  Their  bridles  are  of 
gayest  colours,  and  on  their  collars  religious 
subjects  are  often  painted.  Toledo  is  any- 
thing but  the  deserted  city  it  is  poetically 
supposed  to  be  ;  its  inhabitants  seem  full 
of  life,  and  rather  prosperous ;  the  fashionable 
promenade  on  Sunday  is  crowded  with  well- 
dressed  people  and  soldiers  ;  and  though  the 
latter  are  slim  and  narrow-shouldered,  they 
still  look  smart,  wearing,  like  the  French,  red 
continuations. 

The  town  is  lighted  with  electric  light,  which 
all  semi-barbarous  peoples  seem  to  have  seized 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


8i 


upon ;  witness  Tivoli  and  Tangier,  which  have 
it,  while  parts  of  Paris  and  London  are  still 
unillumined  by  its  lucid  beams.  The  heat  by 
day  is  intense,  the  whole  country  parched  and 
dried  up,  and  this  part  of  Spain  reminds  me  of 
nothing  so  much  as  of  the  rainless  summers 
and  sun-scorched  plains  of  Australia. 

We  paid  a  second  visit  to  San  Juan  de  los 
Reyes,  and  certainly,  of  all  the  churches  I 
have  ever  had  the  good  fortune  to  see,  this 
is  the  most  perfect  in  taste  and  wonderful  in 
execution  ;  the  wealth  of  detail  and  delicacv 
of  execution  of  the  carving  are  unequalled. 
How  terrible,  in  the  midst  of  all  this  fas- 
tidious purity  of  taste,  to  see  a  modern 
altar  of  wood  painted  to  imitate  marble,  two 
rococo  angels,  figures  of  Christ  in  a  crimson 
velvet  robe,  the  Virgin  dressed  as  a  nun  in  a 
crinoline  St.  Joseph  gaily  attired,  and  a 
Crucifixion  in  which  the  figure  wears  a  velvet 
petticoat,  and  has  real  hair  reaching  down  to 
the  waist ! 


82 


A  SCAMPER    THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


83 


Santa  Maria  la  Blanca  was  a  synagogue, 
but  is  now  being  turned  into  a  Museo  Nacional. 
It  is  of  Moorish  architecture ;  the  horseshoe 
arches,  arabesque  decorations,  and  roof  of 
^/eT^r-wood  striirl:  me  a^  being  noteworthy, 
bein<'  liic  iir>t  oi'  the  kind  I  have  seen.  1-1 
\io  i.-,  a  -}iui--y'a''  turned  into  ;i  church, 
iiKc    manv     utlv  r    luiilliiigs   here,     the 


I    r-j  r 


aiiU, 

restoralijn    of   it   sr.^m^   tn    h;ivp  V-.--n    hc-un 

antl     carried     far    ennuc:Ii     to     ru;;i     a,     m*  n 
stopped. 

1.    1 

The  scanbklini;  interrupts  ainlhini;  1^'^'-^  ^ 
1^00(1  \-ie\v  of  it ;  the  perforated  marble  windows 
excited  my  admiration,  but  I  can  see  no 
nv-ntion  of  them  in  -  O'Siira  :  "  the  Alham- 
braic  ornamentati-n  of  the  walls,  on  whieh 
trae^-.  <>'  C(dour  siHl  n-main,  is   most  lieaiililub 


l^jth  th-s.'  bai!dinp-s  are  site. a-. 1  m  tn'-  J-wrv, 
an^!  bear  witness  tr.  tii-  iniporlaiU  Part,  J-w^ 
have  plav-d  ;n  Pi-  histor)   uf  imperial   1  oledo. 

There  arc  curious  nook-,  about  il;is  old  town, 
whicii  \vc  :nu:>i  seek  for  if  we  desire  to  know 


'1 


■N^ 


It  well.  In  one  remote  part  we  were  shown 
two  magnificent  rooms,  said  to  be  portions  of 
the  palace  of  Alfonso  \  b  We  canp  up  ri  pu  in 
after  passing  through  an  old  patio ;  the  walls 

arc   decorated    wiih    admirable    and     intricate 


stucco   worl:  ;     over    the    round    areh 


n    IP' ' >t 


perfeer  vine  *s  L[nv,vincr,  but  the  roof  is  the 
eiiirf  attraeti'"'n.  lluilow,  and  carved  of  dark 
wood,  it  h'luls  an  air  of  calm   to  the  otherwise 


too  lipni  roonu 


Then  we  visited  the  remains  of  the  otYice  of 
the  Inquisition — now  a  posada.  The  magni- 
ficent roof  of  the  hall  of  council  still  remains, 
and  some  low  arched  vaults  in  which  the 
|)risoneTs  were  herded  together.  The  scanty 
tairniturt'  of  tlie  poor //uv7f/r/  looks  strangely  out 
of  place  in  th<_^  grand  old  room  ;  the  latter  are 
stables  lor  mules  and  donkevs.  Indeed,  I  have 
never  seen  roonps  so  devoid  of  furniture  and 
comfort  as  ir  Spain  :  a  f^:nv  i^hairs,  a  table, 
a   small    s-ea.  two   or   thret!  vaiueh'ss   relipiotis 


prints, 


A\ 


\         t 


K\.    I    h.- 


\ 


iiprm-    is    eompli-te.       To    be 


G   2 


H 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


thoroughly  Spanish,  all  the  furniture  must  be 

draped  in  white. 

In  the  Church  of  Santo  Tome  may  be  seen 
a  fine  picture   by  El   Greco,  representing  the 
magical    burial  of  Count  Orgaz,  which    was 
attended  by  Saint  Augustine  and  Saint  Stephen. 
As   this  event  occurred    in  this  very  church, 
of  course  it  must  be  true.     The  heads,  espe- 
cially of  the  two  priests  holding  the  body,  are 
extremely  noble  :  the  elder  is  grand,  the  younger 
most  lovely  and  sympathetic;  the  dead  body 
of  the  count,  in  armour,  is  beautifully  painted. 
The  upper  part  is  less  worthy  of  commendation. 
In  the  same  church  is  also  a  wooden  life-sized 
statue    of  Saint    Elias,    painted,   which    is    a 
favourable    example     of    Spanish     sculpture, 
nearly  always  executed  in  wood,  and  coloured 

after  life. 

This  sounds  rather  badly,  but  they  have 
managed  to  invest  their  figures  with  so  much 
sincerity  and  force  of  expression  that  one 
cannot  pass  them  by  unnoticed. 


y 


\ 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER, 


85 


The  drawbacks  to  visiting  Toledo  are— that 
the  food  is  almost  uneatable,  everything 
being  cooked  in  bad  oil ;  and  the  irr^t^lence  of 
the  boys,  who  hoot  and  jeer  at  every  stranger 
in   the    street.       The   place  is  full  of  curious 


—    -^-i 


''  -L>   '■J 


*=;«-  ' 


.^*2.:<>-H->r!--^ 


«^.' 


•2, 


5:  '%>'& 


'*-•:. 


r^T«:-.-^j]- 


>  --.-l^-^  .->^^^.  i-^r>.  ^_^.4^ 


archaeological  and  artistic  treasures,  which 
cannot  be  sketched,  because  the  inhabitants 
are  so  barbarous  as  to  annoy,  and  Hierally 
prevent  your   doing  It.     Yet    every   doorwaA\ 


86 


A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


and  every  window  is  a  study  for  an  artist ;  the 
doors,  studded  with  huge  nails,  are  especially 
remarkable.  Behind  the  very  casa  de  hiuspedes 
in     which    we   are   lodged   are   two   beautiful 

:vi  r;>a  archways  walled  up,  and  the  pillars  of 
ir:e  pafin  ar-  of  granite,  the  remains  of  some 
niurc  magnificent  building.  Toledo  is  at  once 
the  mu^.t  beautiful  and  aggravating  of  places  to 

.f,.-  :•.    -lii   is  -o  raiitiva^'nor  an^  so  impossible. 

I    examined  mo-t  ramfuih    the  coro  in   the 

cathedrril.  iii-tiv  ^aid  to  be  the  most  beautiful 

jn    iMir^n^a     Int.;    c.ir\-in,a    '^'^    ^^^^'    l^^wiT  stalls, 


w"  n  I  <: 


a   or^ 


ir^:  ui 


i  w  ihiui-wuud,  is  most  elaborate, 


\ 


iauirrufihc  Morcntine  and  M.  x  )rl-!i  M\-^es  ; 
n^^t  L--  a-^-r  r-'W  -xceeds  ev^a-vthin-  imagin- 
able  in  beauty  T'-v  ar- .IhM-l  bv  ia^P-r 
p.  T, ,.,,..<     ov-T    \vi-:.  :i     ap^    alabaster     nirhes, 

adorned  with  fl-un^^  whir^h   ^-pP•^-nl   ih^ 


la'u- 


'»'f^n  1 1(  irs 


(S^  )V-a-  Liiri:.i.  Thcbc  aru  >irongly 
modelled:  I  have  seen  some  w  rk  in  this  cathe- 
drail  wnich  reminded  me  of  Michel  Angelo, 
especially  in  the  reja  of  the  choir. 


y 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


87 


The  books  are  splendid  specimens,  a  whole 
calf-skin  being  used  to  each  leaf;  the  covers 
are  so  heavy  that  it  is  a  task  to  turn  them 
over.  The  Virgin  over  an  altar  in  the  choir, 
called  the  ^*  Virgen  de  la  Blanca,"  is,  her  name 
notwithstanding,  very  dark,  almost  black  in 
the  face,  but  not  a  bad  figure,  having  a  good 
deal  of  the  Greek  about  it.  The  Spanish 
peasants  prefer  the  Virg'n  dark. 

"  Moreno  pintan  a  Cristo, 
Morena  a  la  Magdalena, 
Moreno  es  el  bien  que  adoro — 
Viva  la  gente  morena  !  " 

I  also  looked  very  rarefiilly  at  lii-  various 
doors.  What  strikes  one  niuR  r-paciaUy  is  the 
newness  of  it  all;  though  the  loundauon-stone 
was  laid  as  lar  back  as  1J2;,  in  this  wonderful 
chniaic  evcnlhing  appears  as  If  hnlshrd  hut 
yesterday.  After  this  remark,  the  guide-book 
descriptions  give  all  the  other  infbrniatinn 
possible,  and  no  words  can  convev  am  ade- 
quate idea  of  the  tremendous  Gothic  caUa  drals 


88 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


I 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


89 


of  Spain.  They  stand  far  apart,  long  tedious 
journeys  are  necessary  to  get  at  them,  but  once 
seen  they  mark  an  epoch  in  life.  Their  tall 
pillars  seem  to  cleave  the  skies,  and  the  arches 
to  blend  into  the  warm  and  palpitating  atmo- 
sphere; the  delicate  tracer}^  around  reminds  you, 
by  its  variety  and  lavishness,  of  nature  itself; 
and  you  have  no  feeling  of  being  indoors,  but 
simply  of  being  in  a  different  scene,  when  you 
enter  the  overwhelming  fabric. 

The  weather  is  as  hot  as  Rome  in  July,  and 
it  never  seems  to  change ;  we  need  not  say, 
"  To-morrow  we  will  go  to  such-and-such  a 
place  if  it  is  fine ;  "  we  take  it  for  granted  that 
it  will  be  fine,  and  so  it  is.  Rather  a  contrast 
to  our  own  uncertain  climate !  We  saw  the 
archdeacon  in  the  streets,  a  most  gorgeous 
personage,  with  a  broad,  brilliantly-coloured 
band  across  his  black  vestments,  and  an  order 
hanging  thereto  ;  a  star  of  precious  stones 
ornamented  his  not  very  manly  breast.  The 
archbishop  is   still   more  gorgeous ;  he  never 


I 


goes  abroad  even  in  these  narrow,  rough,  little 
streets  except  in  his  coach. 

It  is  best  not  to  say  much  about  the  insects  ; 
they  are  of  many  kinds,  and  the  mosquitoes 
excel  all  others  of  their  sort  in  rapacity  and 
impudence.  It  is  getting  monotonous  to  be 
stared  at  and  followed  every  time  one  puts  one's 
foot  out  of  doors,  to  find  two  or  three  persons 
occupied  in  steadfastly  gazing  on  you  while 
you  eat  your  humble  meal,  and  to  be  hooted 
at  in  the  streets.  Only  once  did  anyone  inter- 
fere to  prevent  our  being  annoyed,  and  that 
occurred  when  I  was  trying  to  sketch  with  a 
pencil  one  of  the  magnificent  nailed  doors,  and 
was  literally  swarmed  with  children.  I  saw 
even  a  Spanish  artist  surrounded  in  the  same 
way  with  about  thirty  of  these  little  imps, 
though  he  had  paid  one  boy  to  drive  the  others 
away.  When  I  sketched  the  Puerta  del  Sol 
they  went  so  far  as  to  throw  dirt  and  spit  at 
us,  calling  us  **  Frances  "—French.  When  one 
sees  a  priest  it  is  natural  to  expect  he  will  try 


3 


qo 


A  SCAMPER   THROUGH 


to  restrain  the  children's  rudeness,  but  in  vain ; 
they  are  perhaps  worse  than  the  rest  of  the 

people. 

The  reason  the  food  here  is  so  unpalatable 
to  English  people  is  this — there  is  no  pasture, 
therefore  no  cows  ;  no  cows,  therefore  no 
butter ;  no  roast  meat,  therefore  no  dripping ; 
and  in  north  and  central  Spain,  no  pigs,  there- 
fore no  lard.  So  fish,  flesh,  and  fowl,  vegetables, 
and  the  few  sweets  used,  are  all  cooked  in  the 
strong  oil  of  the  country.  The  food  is  rather 
over-cooked,  unlike  that  of  their  neighbours, 
the  French,  who  prefer  their  meat  simply 
warmed  through.  We  only  eat  bread  with 
our  coffee  in  the  morning ;  the  Spaniards  soak 
one  in  the  other. 

All  I  have  written  so  far  refers  to  north  and 
central  Spain ;  we  are  now  about  to  take  the 
long  leap  that  leads  to  the  southern  cities;  for 
Spain  is  like  a  schoolboy's  cake— the  plums  are 
few  and  far  between,  but  when  found  are  of  the 
most  luscious  description.     At  the  station  we 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


91 


heard  the  train  last  evening  from  Madrid  did 
not  arrive  till  1.30,  that  is,  It  took  seven  hours 
and  a  half  to  traverse  thirty-one  kilometres  ! 
No  capital  is  so  badly  served  by  railways  as 
Madrid,  and  though  so  near  it,  benighted 
Toledo  is  still  a  place  out  of  the  world ;  shut 
up  in  itself,  its  objects  of  interest  are  as  much 
hidden  away  from  Europe  as  if  they  were  in 
China  or  the  very  centre  of  Morocco  itself. 


92 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


CHAPTER  VI. 

CORDOBA    AND    ITS    MOSQUE. 

We  left  Toledo  for  Cordoba  one  evening  at 
seven  o'clock  when  the  stars  shone  like  rivieres 
of  brilliants  in  the  sky.  The  stars  do  shine  in 
Spain,  not  glimmer,  as  in  some  countries  I 
could  mention.  No  one  seemed  to  know  by 
what  route  the  train  would  go,  because,  owing 
to  the  inundations  at  Consuegra,  the  entire 
traffic  is  disorganised.  The  guard  said  one 
thing,  the  porters  another,  and  every  passenger 
had  a  separate  and  individual  opinion  on  the 
subject,  which  he  duly  aired.  For  a  Spanish 
railway-carriage  is  a  salon  de  conversation  ;  no 
sooner  does  a  person  enter,  than,  having  said, 
''  Buenos  dias,"  "  Buenas  tardes,"  or  ''  Buenas 
noches,"  as  the  case  may  be  (and  about  this 


^ 


^ 


%.r^': 


u%fr,^'i£^^^^>;^4n 


5',- 


'^'  ■■■'4^' 


\yA^ 


<^Me^Jfj^/U^/ay ,  TOr.ylf/^/'€i^. 


To4^.n 


SPAIN  AAW   TANGIER. 


93 


'I 


they  are  very  particular),  he  immediately 
commences  a  conversation  with  his  fellow- 
travellers  in  the  most  confidential  manner,  as  if 
they  had  been  friends  for  years.  They  all  talk 
and  shout  at  the  same  time  in  very  high  voices, 
so  it  is  difficult  to  get  any  sleep.  As  there  are 
no  buffets  on  the  southern  railways,  it  is  as 
well  to  carry  provision  for  the  journey  with 
you  ;  on  the  northern  lines  it  is  possible  to 
purchase  a  little  refreshment,  but  when  once 
you  leave  Madrid  for  the  south  you  can  buy 
little  but  water  and  fruit  at  the  stations. 

Four  armed  gens  d'armes,  having  peram- 
bulated the  platform  as  usual  with  the  air  of 
noblemen,  got  in  pairs  into  two  of  the 
carriages,  and  the  train  at  last  started  for 
Ciudad  Real,  to  which  place  and  no  further 
we  could  obtain  tickets.  The  train  crawled 
there,  and  we  were  put  out  on  the  platform 
about  midnight,  to  take  second-class  tickets  if 
we  wanted  to  go  on  ;  if  not,  to  wait  till  half- 
past  one  the    following   day.     Of  course,  we 


94 


A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


did  not  hesitate,  and  went  on,  and  the  whole 
journey  only  cost  between  thirty-two  and 
thirty-three  pesetas  each  ;  or,  as  Spaniards 
count,  one  hundred  and  sixty-eight  realsj^ 

At  one  o'clock  the  train  reached  Cordoba, 
in  heat  so  tremendous  that  it  was  difficult  to 
endure.  The  first  part  of  the  journey  was  over 
the  same  desolate  wind-blown  plains ;  then 
we  came  to  red  earth,  sprinkled  thinly  with  a 
little  hay-coloured  grass  ;  what  the  scanty 
cattle  supposed  they  were  eating  I  could  not 
imagine;  next  we  saw  olive  plantations,  with 
aloe  hedges,  in  the  midst  of  which  lies 
Cordoba.  We  stopped  on  the  way  at  nume- 
rous places  where  we  could  see  no  stations, 
and  whose  name  no  one  seemed  to  know ; 
a  few  people  got  in  or  out  at  whichever  side 
of  the  carriage  they  pleased,  and  those  who 
went  appeared  to  vanish  over  the  interminable 
plain. 


*  A  real  is  worth  2|d.,  and  is  the  standard  chiefly  used 
in  business  calculations. 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


95 


Cordoba  lies  in    a    valley,  and  presents   no 
fine  appearance — has  not,  in  fact,  the  grand  air 
and    style    which    distinguishes    Toledo,    but, 
examined  closely,  it  is  full  of  many  and  varied 
beauties.      The    streets    are    as    narrow    and 
winding  as  in  the  latter  town,   like   all  those 
made  by  the  Moors  ;    the  windows  and  doors 
are  hardly  so  quaint  and  picturesque,  but  the 
patios — nearly  every  one  of  which  is  surrounded 
by  stone  or  marble  columns,  and  planted  with 
shrubs   very  rare   in    northern    climates — are 
greatly  superior.     All  have  a  huge  awning,  to 
be  drawn  during  the  heat   of  the  day.     The 
paving  of  the  streets  (it  was  the  first  town  ever 
paved)  is  rough  and  uncomfortable,  but  along 
most  of  them  runs  a  line  of  smooth  flat  stones 
for  the  pedestrian.     Our  old  friend  Velasquez 
is  justified  of  the  horses  here :  of  the  Andalu- 
sian   breed,  they  are   large-bodied,  and  have 
very   small  heads,  and   that  peculiar   hobby- 
horse action  which  we  generally  abuse  in  his 
equestrian  portraits.    They  have  long  flowing 


f 


96 


A  SCAMPER   THROUGH 


tails   and    manes,    silky   skins,    and   are   very 
handsome. 

I  am  as  long  a  time  in  coming-  to  the  chief 
centre  of  interest  in  C6rdoba — the  Mosque,  as 
we  were  in  going  there ;  owing  to  its  low  posi- 
tion and  the  tortuous  courses  of  the  streets,  it 
was  difficult  to  find.  Once  there,  we  were  en- 
chained, entranced,  and  I  cannot  hope,  calmly 
writing,  to  convey  an  idea  of  the  impression  it 

made. 

A  forest  of  marble  columns,  a  skyful  of 
round  arches,  a  large  high  altar  and  rctab/o 
and  nobly-carved  choir— these  were  the  first 
concrete  objects  which  loomed  through  the 
chaos  of  bewildered  ideas ;  on  closer  examina- 
tion there  appeared  so  many  gems  of  Moorish 
remains,  that  a  whole  day  scarcely  sufficed  to 
examine  them.  We  shall  visit  this  great 
shrine — in  which  one  religion  does  not  seem  so 
much  to  supplant  as  to  blend  with  another— 
again  and  again. 

The  entrance  is  through  a  very  narrow  door 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


97 


beside  the  great  Gothic  tower.  The  Moorish 
bronze  door  and  arch,  called  the  **  Gate  of 
Pardon,"  over  which  the  tower  is  built,  are 
magnificent ;  but  here,  as  everywhere,  the  deli- 
cate tender  traceries  of  the  Saracenic  work  are 
elbowed  and  jostled,  as  it  were,  by  the  rougher 
Gothic  architecture  in  an  endeavour  to  sup- 
plant it — not  that  some  of  the  latter  work  is  not 
beautiful,  but  it  cannot  bear  the  comparison. 

The  vile  hand  of  the  spoiler  has  built  up 
many  a  beautiful  arch,  overlaid  with  plaster 
many  a  wall  and  window  covered  with  the  most 
delicate  arabesques,  and  stuck  tawdry  altars  and 
images  wearing  wigs  at  the  end  of  the  superb 
aisles ;  but  enough  of  complaints — let  us  be 
devoutly  thankful  for  what  remains  of  this, 
the  noblest  specimen  of  Moorish  architecture 
in  Europe,  not  excepting  even  the  Alhambra. 

There  are  in  the  Mosque  over  one  thousand 
columns,  all  of  precious  marbles — pink,  blue, 
white,  black,  and  yellow,  and  nineteen  aisles. 
Describing    this    building    a    modern    French 

H 


98 


A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


writer  says: — '' Les  colonnes,  d'un  seul  mor- 
ceau  et  d'un  pied  et  demi  de  diametre,  ont 
dix  ou  douze  pieds  jusqu'au  chapiteau,  d'un 
corinthien  arabe  plein  d'elegance;  elles  sont 
de  breche  verte  et  violette,  de  jaspe,  de  por- 
phyre  ;  elles  soutlennent  deux  arcs  en  pierre 
superposes  qui  parfois  s'entrecroisent.  On  a 
fait  au  milieu  de  ce  quinconce  mauresque  une 
e^lise  chretienne  en  forme  de  croix  latine  qui 
en  tout  autre  endroit  serait  admiree." 

The  exterior    resembles   a  fortress.     Glori- 
ously tinted   walls   and   towers    surround   the 
Mosque    and    the    magnificent   patio,    planted 
with  orange-trees  and  palms,  some  said  to  be 
one  thousand  years  old.    The  fountain  is  that 
once  used  by  the  Moors   for  their   ablutions ; 
and  here  the  people  come  to  laugh  and  gossip, 
to  tell  and  hear  the  news,  and  to  repose  in  the 
heat  of  midday  and  cool  shadows  of  evening. 
There   is  no  other  spot  in    Europe   quite  like 

this. 

Some    kind    of    restoration,    of    course,    is 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


99 


going  forward  in  the  Mosque,  but  it  seems 
of  a  beneficent  kind,  for  men  are  stripping 
off  plaster,  and  revealing  delicate  tracery 
like  that  of  the  finest  Cashmere  shawls,  and 
throwing  down  brickwork  which  fills  up  the 
beautiful  proportions  and  colouring  of  the 
horseshoe  arches.  In  some  places  the  original 
panelled  roof  of  arbor  vitse,  covered  with 
designs,  is  being  unveiled  from  the  disfiguring 
plaster. 

Anything  like  the  beauty  of  these  marble 
columns,  which  came  from  Italy,  Greece,  and 
Africa,  it  is  impossible  to  imagine,  but  the  chief 
glory  of  the  Mosque  is  the  Mih-rab,  or  Holy  of 
Holies,  where  the  copy  of  the  Koran  made  by 
the  Khalif  Othman  was  kept.  It  is  a  chapel 
and  niche,  covered  with  the  most  marvellous 
mosaic,  which  gleams  like  jewels  in  the  sombre 
light.  We  will  return  to  this  wondrous  edifice 
another  time— perhaps  many  times  ;  it  is  to  be 
the  running  theme  of  this  chapter.  Meanwhile 
I  may  add  that  Cordoba  was  a  Phoenician  city, 

H    2 


100 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


which  passed  to  the  Romans,  who,  as  usual, 
set  their  strong  stamp  on  it.  From  the  dominion 
of  the  Goths  it  passed  to  the  Arabs,  and  be- 
came pre-eminently  distinguished  as  the  court 
of  the   western  Khalifs.      Seneca  and  Lucan 
were  born  here,  and    in   later  days    *'el  gran 
capitan,'*  Gonzalvo  de  Cordoba.     The  Mosque 
was  built  by  Abdurrahman,   to  be  a  place  of 
pilgrimage,  instead  of  Mecca,  for  all   Moham- 
medans in  Spain  who  did  not  care  to  make  the 

longer  journey. 

The  much-talked-of  use  of  the  fan  is  indeed 
universal.  At  church  this  instrument  plays  a 
very  conspicuous  part  in  the  devotions;  it  is 
put  into  a  baby's  hand  at  two  years  of  age, 
and  seldom  leaves  it  afterwards.  The  secret 
of  its  graceful  usage  seems  to  lie  in  three 
things— first,  the  instrument  must  be  supple; 
secondly,  it  must  be  worked  from  the  wrist ; 
and  thirdly  and  chiefly,  the  user  must  be 
unconscious  that  there  is  anything  noticeable 
about   the    manner   in    which   she   flutters   it. 


^yy-  ^///rfn/A/?^  -  y^t/J^tf  n/. 


11 


«* 


h 


is. 


I 

I 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER, 


lOI 


\ 


It  is  the  fashion  here  for  girls  to  wear  flowers 
in  their  hair,  sometimes,  I  am   very  sorry  to 
say,  made  of  paper.     One  curious  thing  I  have 
noticed   all  through    Spain,    and    that   is   the 
familiarity  (never  impudent)   of  servants  with 
their    masters.      A    running    conversation    is 
carried  on  with  the  waiter  at  the  7nesa  rodoiida  ;  * 
the   servant    who    brings    your    coffee   in  the 
morning  will  sit  down  and  wait  and  converse 
with  you  while  you  drink  it.     In  truth,  in  every 
country  I    have  yet  visited  there  is    none  of 
the  absurd  slavishness  in  which  it  is  supposed 
to  be  the  thing  to  keep  English  servants ;  no 
dignity  is  lost  by  it,  for  a  Spaniard  cannot  lose 
his  dignity  whatever  he  does,  and  the  servant 
is  thus  acknowledged  to  be  a  fellow- creature. 
Speaking     of    servants     reminds     me      that 
Spaniards  only  take  two  meals  a  day ;  we  were 
unable  to  attain    to    similar  heights   of  self- 
denial,  so  took  coffee  in  the  morning,  always 
brought    by    a     neat    little    maid,   who    was 

*  labled'hdte. 


'mem 


'wmmmmm 


\ 


lOZ 


A  SCAMPER  THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


103 


glad  indeed  to  break  her  fast,  which  she  would 
not  otherwise  have  done  till  two  o'clock,  with 
whatever  remained. 

I  think  I  ought  to  say  something  about  the 
hands    of    the    Andalusian    ladies,    who     are 
nothing  if  not  ornamental.     As  they  never  do 
anything    worth  mentioning,    of  course   their 
hands    are    well -formed     and     very    white; 
the  nails  are  highly  cultivated    and  cut    into 
points  like  bird-claws  ;    I  have  seen  even  men 
with    two     or    three     nails    on    their     hands 
above  three-quarters  of  an  inch  long.     These 
lovely  hands  the  ladies  when  at  dinner  place 
conspicuously  on    the  table,    and   proceed  to 
business  by  ladleing    their    viands  into  their 
mouths  with  knives  made   broad  in  the  blade 
for  the  purpose.    I  have  seen  them  stir  up  their 
half-boiled  eggs  with  a  knife  before  swallowing 
it;  and  they  use  the  toothpick  freely.    Talking 
of  the  women  reminds  me  somehow  or  other 
of  the  melons,  which  they  also  shovel  in  with 
the  knife.    The  flavour  is  indescribable,  like  the 


4 


i 


Mosque.  They  are  of  several  kinds,  from  the 
simple  water-melon  to  those  which  taste  like 
diluted  pineapple,  near  the  middle  full  of  sun 
and  sugar;  perhaps  it  is  worth  while  endur- 
ing this  heat  for  the  sake  of  the  flavour. 

It  is  October,  but  still  too  hot  to  go  out  in 
the  middle  of  the  day ;  when  we  do  go  out  we 
are  the  objects  of  greater  staring  and  remarks 
than  Queen  Victoria  when  she  goes  (if  ever  she 
does  go)  to  the  East  End  of  London.  One 
gets  used  to  this  in  time,  however,  like  real 
royalty.  In  Spain  our  experience  was  that  of 
the  French  author,  who  writes: — '*Tout  le 
monde  s'est  mis  aux  fenetres  a  notre  passage; 
les  vieilles  femmes  couraient  comme  les  jeunes 
pour  nous  voir ;  les  hommes  meme  ne  resis- 
taient  pas  a  la  curiosite.  La  rue  ou  nous  de- 
scendimes  se  remplit  en  un  moment.  Si  c'eut 
ete  de  TadmiratioUj  nous  I'aurions  supporte; 
mais  non — les  jeunes  garcons  me  faisaient  des 
grimaces  d'un  air  de  grand  mepris.  Je  suis 
entree  a  I'eglise:    on  faisait  cercle  autour  de 


104 


A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


105 


moi.  Les  femmes  tataient  Tetoffe  de  mon 
manteau,  et  les  gamins  se  vionraicnt  de  me 
faire  des  cruautes;  quelques-uns  me  taperent 
un  peu  sur  la  tete  et  le  dos."  Such,  in  so 
many  words,  was  our  continual  experience. 

The  word,  "  Mira  !  mira  !"  *  which  signalised 
our  appearance,  will  be  for  ever  hateful  in  my 
ears  ;  and  *'  Frances  !  Frances !  "f  will  always 
make  me  shudder  in  future.  Since  we  left  Paris 
we  have  not  heard  a  score  of  words  in  either 
French  or  English,  and  I  could  not  advise 
anyone  entirely  unacquainted  with  the  Spanish 
language  (except  the  rich,  who  have  couriers) 
to  make  this  journey.  It  would  be  almost 
impossible. 

The  Roman  bridge  over  the  Guadalquivir 
is  splendidly  picturesque,  one  of  the  most 
wonderful  performances  of  art  in  Spain ;  the 
old  water-worn  stones  tell  the  tale  of  many 
a  contest   with   the   elements    through  untold 

*'*Look!  look!  " 

t  "  French!  French  !  " 


1 


F 


1 


centuries.      It    consists     of    thirteen     arches, 

though    the   guide-books    say    seventeen   and 

eio-hteen.     Let  us  return  for  a  little  time  *'a  la 
to 

Mosquee,  ou  I'oeil  se  perd  dans  les  merveilles.'' 
The  exterior  remains  in  most  places  as  it  was 
in  the  times  of  the  Moors ;  in  others  the  Goths 
(justly    a    term    of    reproach)  have    built   up 


^Z'^^^^ 


■^w^ 

& 


~^l-£i/'  jsarrj^^'^'''*''  •  *^''-'^--^~tJ-  '     ^^...-M^/i  '"i-t  " 


•     -r^-i-^^ 


s^^*^  <^ 


Cordoba  Bridge  and  Mosque- 

arches,  defaced  battlements,  erected  altars, 
and  committed  numberless  barbarities.  The 
old  Moorish  entrances  may  still  be  found,  some 
vilely  defaced,  others  changed  by  the  intro- 
duction of  Gothic  pillars  and  inscriptions. 

The  original  walls  seem  simply  to  have  been 
crowned  with   battlements    and  supported    by 


io6 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


107 


buttresses ;  they  are  in  tapia,  and  from  thirty 
to  forty  feet  in  height.  The  area  enclosed  is 
six  hundred  and  forty-two  feet  long  by  four 
hundred  and  sixty-two  feet  wide.  A  great 
many  priests  were  saying  prayers  sometimes 
when  we  went  there,  but  the  congregation  was 
usually  nil.  As  is  customary  in  Spanish 
churches,  there  are  two  pulpits,  one  each  side 
of  the  altar;  one  is  supported  by  a  rebellious 
bull  in  marble,  the  other  by  a  contemplative 
youth  on  a  lion,  and  both  are  rococo  in  style. 
The  clash  of  bells,  which  I  had  before  remarked 
at  Burgos,  was  repeated  here,  and  is  very 
effective.  The  magnificent  silver  lamp  hanging 
from  the  roof  should  be  observed ;  it  weighs 
sixteen  arrobasJ^ 

Cordoba  is  anything  but  a  dead  city ;  till 
twelve  o'clock  at  night  it  is  very  much  alive; 
the  cafes  are  open,  men  are  eating  cakes  and 
drinking  water,  and  people  are  parading  under 
the  orange-trees  in  the  Plaza  called  *'  El  Gran 

*  An  arroba  is  a  Spanish  weight,  equal  to  twenty-five  pounds. 


Capitan."  Until  we  came  here  we  never 
heard  a  guitar  in  Spain,  except  when  some  dirty 
ragged  beggar  in  Madrid  strummed  an  instru- 
ment which,  in  answer  to  strenuous  applications 
of  his  fingers,  yielded  forth  a  smothered  note 
occasionally  as  an  accompaniment  to  his 
importunities ;  but  here  the  guitar  is  played  to 

perfection. 

Some    singing   may    be    heard,    too,    and 
though  the  people  have  no  voices  to  speak  of 
the  wild  intensity  of  the  execution  of  the  un- 
writable music  is  most  interesting.    I  heard  the 
Arab  singers  at  the  Paris  Exhibition  of  1889, 
and  this  singing  more  nearly  resembles  it  than 
anything  else   I  can  compare  it  to ;    it  is  also 
like  the  monotonous  melody  of  the  shepherds 
on  Vesuvius.      They  have   no   notion    of  the 
intervals    between    the  notes  which  cultivated 
musicians   have    formulated,  and    this  makes 
their  singing  wild  and  spontaneous,  like  that 

of  the  birds. 

The   streets  here,  and  the    scenes  In  them, 


r. 


jo8 


A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


109 


are  the  despair  of  the  painter;  with  every 
opportunity  it  would  be  difficult  to  render 
them,  but  with  opposition  of  every  kind  it 
is  almost  impossible.  The  caparisons  of  the 
donkeys  and  mules  are  gorgeous,  of  every 
imaginable  colour,  and  adorned  with  tassels 
which  serve  the  purposes  of  ornament  and  of 
driving  away  the  flies.  You  see  them  in  every 
street,  always  in  the  very  spot  where,  if  you 
were  a  painter  and  the  street  a  picture,  you 
would  introduce  them. 

There  is  a  representation  of  the  Crucifixion 
in  the  Mosque  which  haunts  one;  a  life- 
sized  figure,  coloured  like  nature,  hangs  on 
the  cross  in  the  mystic  interrupted  light  of 
one  of  the  side-aisles ;  real  hair  as  long  as  a 
woman's  streams  down  the  emaciated  form, 
and  minofles  with  the  blood,  while  the  feet  are 
nailed  with  silver  nails,  from  which  votive 
offerings  are  suspended.  The  tortured  expres- 
sion of  the  shadowed  eyes  is  terrible,  even  the 
ridiculous  crimson  velvet  petticoat  cannot  do 


^' 


away  with  the  Impression  it  causes.    The  whole 
thing  has  an    awful  effect,  both  morally  and 
physically.     There  is  also  a  miraculous  image 
of  the  Virgin— votive  offerings  by  the   score 
surrounding  It,  and  I  once  watched   a  priest 
stand  reverently  in  prayer  before  It  for  hours. 
I  never  Imagined  the  heat  here  was  so  great ; 
it  Is  October,  but  nowhere  In  Europe  have  I 
felt  such  fire  from  the  sun,  even  In  July  and 
August.       Only  that   In    the  southern  hemi- 
sphere rivals  It.     The  shopkeepers  sit  drowsily 
In  their  shops,  idly  waving  paper  flappers  to 
keep  the  flies  off  their  wares. 

It  always  Interests  me  to  hear  High  Mass  In 
the  greatest  cathedrals,  and  so  heard  it  here ; 
it  is  not  so  Imposing,  however,  as  that  at  Toledo. 
The  sermon  was  an  intemperate  abuse  of  Pro- 
testantism whether  levelled  at  us  or  not;  I 
do  not  know.  I  was  glad  the  preacher  was 
confined  to  the  pulpit  which  he  so  vigorously 
thumped  and  kicked.  The  undisguised  indif- 
ference of  the  priests  is  noticeable,   and  par- 


w 

-A 


It 


110 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


ticularly  the  inattention  of  the  little  boys,  who 
run  here,  there,  and  everywhere  during  the 
services  in  scarlet  petticoats.  The  women,  who 
bring  their  campstools,  or  sit  on  the  naked 
floor  clothed  in  black,  with  their  heads  covered 
with  mantillas,  have  the  monopoly  of  devotion. 
The  builders  of  this  beautiful  Gothic  church 
seem  barbarously  to  have  hewn  away  the 
elegant  marble  pillars  of  the  Moors,  as  if  they 
had  been  so  many  trees,  to  make  a  place  for 
it  in  the  very  centre  of  the  Mosque.  Elsewhere 
it  would  seem  a  noble  church ;  the  retablo  of 
pink  marble  and  bronze-gilt  figures  is  fine  ;  the 
huge  altar  is  of  silver  and  silver  gilt,  but  here 
every  bit  of  Gothic  irritates  one.  It  is  simply 
agonising  to  see  the  manner  in  which  they 
have  covered,  defaced,  and  in  some  places 
destroyed  the  tender  Moorish  ornament,  hiding 
jasper  columns  in  plaster,  placing  rococo  altars 
ruthlessly  over  priceless  tracery,  even  covering 
up  the  jewel-like  mosaic  which  has  no  equal 
in  Europe. 


^ 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


1 1 1 


In  the  Villaviciosa  chapel,  the  most  precious 
of  all  the  remains,  an  attempt,  atrocious, 
of  course,  has  been  made  to  restore  the 
original  colouring  of  the  vault ;  I  only  trust 
it  may  soon  be  washed  off  The  true  Moor- 
ish ornament  which  is  left  on  the  walls  is 
like  lace,  or  the  most  delicate  ivory  carving, 
resembling  the  delicate  tints  of  a  natural 
flower;  while  the  restored  portion  is  like  the 
vulgar  colouring  of  the  paper  foliage  with  which 
some  years  ago  we  used  to  fill  our  fireplaces. 

As  we  were  always  the  observed  of  all 
observers,  people  even  going  out  of  their 
way  to  walk  beside  us  in  the  streets,  it  is  not 
wonderful  the  beggars  considered  us  natural 
objects  of  prey.  A  tiny  girl,  with  velvet  eyes 
like  the  petals  of  a  black  pansy,  dressed  in 
rags  of  every  hue,  followed  us  one  day  for 
a  mile  with  perseverance  worthy  of  a  better 
cause,  chanting  incessantly,  '^Un  centimito, 
por  caridad  de  Dios  !  che  yo  no  tengo  padre !  " 
The  next  day  we   saw   her  in   most  gorgeous 


I  12 


SPALV  AXD  TANGIER. 


robes,  holding  her  father  by  the  hand,  en 
f^te  I 

The  walls  of  Cordoba  are  supposed  to 
remain  just  as  they  were  described  by  Julius 
Czesar;  they  are  quite  insig-nificant,  and,  like 
the  houses,  whitewashed.  How  the  Spaniards 
love  whitewash  !  perhaps  because,  like  charity, 
it  covers  a  multitude  of  sins.  The  fruit,  except 
the  melons,  is  disappointing  to  an  Australian; 
people  from  northern  climes  might,  perhaps, 
echo  the  ecstasies  of  the  books  on  the  subject. 
The  natives  say  winter  lasts  here  only  two 
months,  and  that  there  is  never  any  snow. 
Every  town,  every  village  in  Spain,  possesses 
its  Plaza  de  Toros,  and  Cordoba  is  no  excep- 
tion. It  has  also  a  fine  promenade,  planted 
with  orange  trees,  where  the  fashionables 
appear  and  sit  at  little  tables  and  drink  water 
in  the  evening,  for  life  is  essentially  an  out- 
of-door  performance  whenever  the  sun  does 
not  interfere  to  prevent. 

If  I  were  to  write  a  chapter  on  the  Spaniards' 


-^■^:>.„.:^-^      .- 


"  Paca.'* 
I 


4 


H 


i»4 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


manners  at  the  dinner-table,  it  would  be  very 
short -simply  that  they  have  noyie.    The  table 
is  thus  set  out  :-it  is  long  and  very  narrow, 
and  down  the  centre  is  a  row  of  small  dishes 
containing  fruit,  decanters    of   wine,  earthern 
vessels  of  water,  and  artificial  flowers  in  little 
vases.     On    either   side   of   these   are   olives, 
radishes,  capsicum  salad,  and  toothpicks.    The 
guests  take  an  olive  or  a  radish  between  each 
dish.      They    put    their    arms   On    the   table, 
especially   the    ladies,    and    as    a    matter    of 
course  eat  with  their  knives.    There  are  many 
dishes ;  soup,  or  a  mixture  of  eggs  and  bread, 
is   served    first,  then  garbanzos.   a  coarse  kind 
of    pea,    which    -aspires    to    be     considered 
a  haricot   bean  and  succeeds  but    too  well,'' 
cocido,*    stews,    skinny   fowls,   and    afterwards 
salad,  either  of  capsicums  cut  in  small  pieces, 
or    of  lettuce,  swimming   in   oil    and    water, 
which    announces     the     end    of    the    repast, 

•  This  dish  is  composed  of  beef,  sausage,  pork,  pudding, 
garhanzos,  cabbage,  lettuces,  beans,  &c. 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


"5 


excepting  the  fruit,  to  which   every  one  helps 
himself. 

Very  little  salt  is  eaten,  and  mustard, 
pepper,  pickles,  and  sauces  are  conspicuous 
by  their  absence.  The  meals  invariably  re- 
semble each  other — there  is  no  change  from 
year's  end  to  year's  end;  and  every  dish  reeks 
of  the  rancid  oil  in  which  it  is  cooked— fish, 
flesh,  and  fowl  alike.  One  great  comfort  is 
that  the  bread  is  uniformly  good  from  north 
to  south.  During  the  dinner  men  light  their 
cigarettes,  conversation  is  very  animated,  and 
fans  are  flirted  vigorously.  The  greatest  con- 
tentment appears  to  prevail ;  a  Spanish  gentle- 
man will  make  his  dinner  on  what  no  one  in 
England,  except  the  very  poorest,  would  even 
taste.  As  to  smoking,  every  workman  smokes, 
and  the  shopkeepers  serve  you  with  a  cigarette 
in  their  mouths. 

As  in  most  foreign  countries  I  have  visited, 
the  lower  classes  seem  to  lead  happy  and 
contented  lives  ;  they  have  their  share  of  the 


I    2 


J..M 


p 


i- 

Wi-' 


ii6 


A  SCAMPER   THROUGH 


good  things  of  this  life,  in  the  beautiful  atmo- 
sphere, in  the  glow  of  the  sunshine,  and  in  the 
fruit,  flowers,  and  vegetables,  which  they  can 
get  for  almost  nothing.      Nowhere  is  seen  the 
sordidness  and  hopelessness  of  English  poverty. 
The  poor  girl  puts  a  flower  in  her  hair,  dances 
her  national  dance,  makes  love,  goes  to  church 
and  confession,  and  is  happy ;  the  poor  man 
may  work   long  hours,  but  he  beguiles  them 
with  a  cigarette,  eats  his  dinner  of  water-melon 
or    olives    and   bread,  makes   love,  plays  his 
guitar,  and  is  happy  too. 

One  is  struck  with  the  absence  of  birds,  and 
misses  the  feathered  songsters  throughout  the 
length  and  breadth  of  Spain  ;    the    reason  is 
that  there  are  so  few  trees.     A  patriotic  Tole- 
dana,  anxious  that  no  good  thing  should  be 
wanting  in  her  native  land,  once  stoutly  main- 
tained that  there  were  plenty  of  birds  there. 
Asked    where    they  lodged,    she    placidly   re- 
marked,  ''  In  the  air,  of  course." 

Permission  to  paint  in  the  Mosque  was  easily 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


«'7 


granted  us  by  the  segretario—di  very  fine 
personage  in  priestly  robes.  The  behaviour 
of  the  people  to  us  when  we  were  sketching 
was  little  better  than  that  of  the  Toledanos. 
Every  house  has  a  patio,  In  which  the 
Inhabitants  assemble  In  the  evening  for  con- 
versation, singing,  and  dancing. 

I  have  mentioned  the  Roman  bridge  before 
— It  Is  certainly  as  magnificent  a  structure  as 
any  to  be  seen  in  Italy.  The  Roman  arch 
adjoining  Is  worthy  of  Its  nationality  and  looks 
**  all  Its  age."  The  traffic  Is  principally  con- 
fined to  donkeys  and  mules ;  many  streets  are 
too  narrow  to  admit  vehicles ;  those  that  are 
not,  are  labelled  "  Entrada  de  Carruajes  "  at 
one  end,  and  **SaIIda  de  Carruajes"  at  the 
other.  The  baker  comes  round  on  a  donkey, 
carrying  the  bread  in  leathern  panniers. 

A  walk  through  Cordoba  Is  full  of  interest. 
The  poor  remains  ot  the  once  most  luxurious 
Alcazar,  the  old  palace  of  the  Gothic  kings, 
then  of    the    Khallf,    and    afterwards    of   the 


ii8 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


Inquisition  ;  the  potro,  or  horse- market, 
mentioned  in  Don  Quixote ;  the  Plaza  Mayor, 
or  Corredera,  surrounded  by  houses  having 
balconies  with  windows ;  the  Campillo,  where 
heretics  condemned  by  the  Holy  Office  were 
burnt  ;  old  markets,  and  many  streets  reason- 
ably paved  and  lined  with  tolerable  shops,  may 
thus  be  inspected. 

In  the  Church  of  San  Pablo  they  were  cele- 
brating the   ''Giubileo"   of  the  Forty  Hours. 
There    were    numerous     figures    of  saints    m 
this     church,     dressed    in   magnificent  robes; 
the   transition    from   coloured  statues    to   this 
degradation     of     sculpture     is     the     ''facile 
descensus  Averni''      The  altar  was  a  mass  of 
lights    and     artificial     flowers,     with     a     gilt 
background  ;    in  the  midst  of  this,  images  of 
Jesus    Christ,  the    Virgin,    Saint  Joseph,  and 
Saint    Paul     appeared,     magnificently    robed, 
holding    sceptres  and  wearing  crowns.      The 
dresses  were   of  rich  brocade;    but  as  I  saw 
a    shop   one  day  where    **  plated    articles    for 


I 


/ 


..^^> 


'"'^-Z-^^' 


L-. 


a 


U^ 


'(Z. 


\ 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


119 


the  use  of  the  Church  "  were  sold,  I  cannot 
answer  for  the  crowns  and  sceptres  being  of 
real  silver  and  gold.  The  reverse  of  this 
magnificence  was  the  crowd  of  beggars 
encamped  at  the  door,  some  with  the  most 
hideous  deformities  which  defy  imagination ; 
they  ought  never  to  be  seen  out  of  a  hospital. 
But  Andalusia  is  called  **  la  t terra  di  Maria 
Santissifna ;  "  so  perhaps  all  is  as  it  should  be. 
At  all  events  the  people  seem  happy,  and  are 
certainly  most  good-natured. 

The  Church  of  San  Nicolas  de  la  Villa 
is  particularly  rich  in  religious  statues — 
more  properly  called  figures.  I  cannot  deny 
them  a  certain  amount  of  expression  ;  having 
said  this,  all  I  can  say  in  their  favour,  I  will 
describe  them.  Some  are  simply  of  wood 
coloured  according  to  nature  ;  the  next  step 
is  to  images  clothed  in  real  clothes  and 
wearing  real  hair.  They  vary  from  life  size 
to  that  of  a  medium-sized  Dutch  doll,  and  all 
are  of  a  most  distinctly  Spanish  type.    There  is 


I20 


A  SCAMPER  THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


121 


I 


a  group  of  full-sized  figures  kept  covered  with  a 
curtain  :  Jesus  Christ  appears  in  the  centre  ; 
on  one  side  is  the  Virgin  robed  as  a  nun,  hold- 
ing a  rich  lace  handkerchief;  on  the  other 
Saint  Joseph  in  the  richest  brocaded  silk.  The 
middle  figure  is  seated  in  a  melancholy  atti- 
tude, drippmg  with  blood,  and  having  long 
woman's  hair  reaching  to  the  waist.  There  is 
no  connected  action  in  the  group,  which  is 
horrible  to  look  at.  Next  we  have  the  Virgin 
alone,  the  si;fe  of  life,  dressed  in  royal  robes 
and  crowned ;  then  about  eight  inches  high, 
dressed  in  silver  brocade.  Many  other 
saints,     also      in      costume,     figure      in    this 

church. 

I  have  noted  a  few  remarks  about  Spanish 
customs,  which  1  dare  say  everyone  knows,  but 
which  were  new  to  me.  Spanish  ladies  seldom 
leave  their  houses,  except  in  the  evenings  to 
take  a  drive.  They  seldom  or  never  walk,  and 
all  that  can  possibly  be  left  to  servants,  the  ser- 
vants do ;  they  must  lead  most  miserable  lives, 


forever  sitting  at  a  barred  window  playing  with 
a  fan. 

The  custom  of  courtship  being  carried  on 
through  window  gratings  still  obtains  ;  a  suitor, 
or  novio,  occupies  himself  night  after  night 
in  pacing  to  and  fro  the  window  opposite 
our  house,  waiting  for  his  beloved  one,  who, 
by  the  way,  very  seldom  gladdens  his  vision 
by  her  appearance;  when  they  agree  to  be 
engaged,  he  will  interview  her  parents,  be 
received  in  the  drawing-room  if  accepted, 
and  woo  her  more  comfortably.  Spaniards 
certainly  only  eat  twice  a  day,  but  their  diges- 
tion must  rival  that  of  the  ostrich  ;  a  man  will 
eat  at  the  same  meal  two  kinds  of  salad,  water- 
melon, peaches,  a  few  beans,  and  a  very  little 
indifferent  meat,  and  wash  these  things  down 
with  some  bad  wine  and  a  lot  of  water,  and 
still  survive.  Great  is  the  power  of  habit.  As 
there  are  no  fireplaces,  so  there  are  no  bells  ; 
when  you  want  a  servant  you  clap  your  hands 
in   the  corridor  outside  your  room  which  sur- 


i| 


122 


A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


123 


rounds  the  patio,  just  as  they  used  to  in  the 
Arabian  Nights. 

The  men  ride  extremely  well,  and  never  ap- 
pear to  so  great  an  advantage  as  on  the  superb 
Andalusian  horses ;  they  do  not  lift  themselves 
in  the  saddle,  but  move  with  the  undulating 
motions  of  the  animal.  Sometimes' they  use 
mules  to  their  carriages.  The  donkeys  are 
larger  and  better  behaved  than  those  of  Black- 
heath  or  Greenwich,  and  follow  their  masters 
like  dogs.  Across  the  narrow  streets  awnings 
are  sometimes  stretched  from  house  to  house, 
forming  a  most  complete  shelter  from  the 
sun.  I  do  not  think  many  middle-class 
Spaniards  can  read,  very  few  can  write ;  there- 
fore all  their  knowledge  is  obtained  from 
observation,  which  accounts  perhaps  for  their 
perpetual  curiosity.  Their  redeeming  quality 
is  their  intense  good  nature  ;  during  our  jour- 
neys we  have  always  been  treated  with  the 
greatest  kindness  by  them.  The  horses  are 
most  beautiful  to  look  upon  ;  they  appear  as  if 


they  had  just  stepped  out  of  the  Elgin  marbles, 
or  were  the  equestrian  pictures  of  Velasquez 
revivified,  or  the  colossal  animals  modelled  by 
Donatello  and  Verochio  down  from  their  pede- 
stals ;  their  satin-shining  skins,  small  heads, 
red  dilated  nostrils,  and  peculiar  gait  would 
stamp  them  anywhere,  and  their  riders  sit 
them  just  as  Velasquez  has  represented.  On 
everything  and  everywhere,  from  the  most 
important  to  the  most  trivial  thing,  one  still 
sees  the  indelible  stamp  of  the  Moor ;  begin- 
ning at  Madrid,  it  becomes  more  and  more 
distinct  every  mile  you  travel  south,  till  where 
the  Mediterranean  chafes  in  his  narrow  channel 
between  the  two  continents,  the  types  are  almost 
confounded. 

The  colour  of  the  sky  at  evening  resembles 
that  of  opals  and  amethysts ;  one  night  near 
the  horizon  it  was  orange,  yellow  higher  up, 
then  red,  last  a  thick  rich  purple.  The  moun- 
tains of  the  distant  Sierra  Morena  are  all  tinged 
with  these    marvellous    tones;    at   times   they 


124 


A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


appear  a  blaze  of  crimson,  then  orange ;  lastly, 
they  fade  Into  intense  violet.  A  description  of  a 
place  is  like  a  painter's  sketch  from  nature — 
one  touch  on  the  spot  is  worth  all  the  elabora- 
tion afterwards.  The  mosquitos  are  a  scourge 
all  over  Spain  ;  it  makes  one  shiver  to  think 
of  their  shrieks  of  triumph  as  they  hover  fiend- 
like over  their  helpless  human  victims. 

The  monument,  ''El  Triunfo,"  erected  on 
the  spot  where  the  angel  Rafael  alighted,  on 
some  remarkable  occasion,  has  an  inscription 
to  the  effect  that  the  inscriber  asseverates  by 
'' Jesu-Cristo  crucifido "  that  he  was  an  eye- 
witness of  the  event.  After  that  who  can  doubt 
It  ?  Toledo  was  the  scene  of  more  miracles 
than  I  ever  heard  of  before :  this  Is  the  only 
one  I  have  remarked  in  Cordoba.  A  little 
way  outside  the  town  Is  the  cemetery,  con- 
tained In  white  walls,  and  planted  with 
cypresses.  The  greater  number  of  graves  are 
above  the  ground  In  tiers  six  deep  ;  the  coffins 
are  put   on    the  shelves  endwise ;    others  are 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


125 


like  ours  ;  the  poor  are  thrown  nameless  Into 
a  common  fosse,  used  over  and  over  again. 
Criminals  (they  are  garrotted  here)  have  a 
separate  place  of  interment  under  a  wall. 

In  the  church  adjoining  Is  an  image  of  the 
Virgin  which  was  found  in  a  well ;  the  well 
and  the  Virgin  are  both  shown,  and  it  would 
be  a  matter  worth  Inquiry  to  know  whether 
or  not  she  came  up  In  the  gorgeous  robes  she 
now  wears.  There  Is  here  the  grave  of  a 
lady,  whose  nationality  Is  unknown,  who,  ac- 
cording to  the  sexton's  account,  was  killed  In  a 
railway  accident.  In  reality  she  was  robbed 
and  murdered  within  a  few  miles  of  Cordoba, 
In  a  first-class  railway  carriage,  In  1884,  and 
the  assassin  has  never  been  discovered.  Pious 
hands  have  placed  a  wreath  of  Immortelles  over 
her  nameless  tom.b.  On  many  a  grave  is  simply 
Inscribed,  **  Hijo  de  mi  alma,"  *  expressing 
more  in  four  words  than  all  the  syllables  which 
cover  many  a  more  pretentious  headstone.  Life 


*  "  Son  of  my  soul." 


126 


A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


in  C6rdoba  is  short  and  full,  the  climate  is  most 
unhealthy,  and  old  age  seldom  reached  ;  we, 
who  only  remained  here  for  a  fortnight,  became 
in  that  time  enervated  and  idle. 

Evening  in  C6rdoba  came  swiftly.     O'er 

Each  outline,  standing  crudely  sharp  and  white 

Against  the  deep  blue  sky,  the  fading  light 
Flung  clinging  mist.     Then  at  the  western  door, 
Where  passed  the  tired-out  sun  to  rest  once  more, 

The  deepest  orange  shone  ;  and  still  more  bright. 

Above  dark  yellow  met  the  dazzled  sight 
Blent  with  rich  red  ;  beyond  deep  purple  wore 

The  changing  heavens,  till  opal,  amethyst 
Were  rivalled,  and  the  strong  dark  hills  afar 
Glowed,  bathed  in  crimson  'neath  the  ev'ning  star, 

Which  like  a  brilliant  shone.     The  moon  took  birth— 
A  silver  strip  set  in  a  purple  mist. 

Then  Night  in   ill  her  jewels  came  to  Earth. 


SPA  IN  A  ND  TA  NGIER. 


1^7 


I 


CHAPTER  VII. 


SEVILLE    AND    MURILLO. 


h\  the  blazing  sun  ui  October  we  left  Cordoba 

for  Seville,  aiul,  there  being  no  ihirJ-class 
carriages  to  the  train,  took  secoml-Lla^s  tickets, 
eleven /^5^/^^  and  a  lialf  each.  Once  more  we 
traveTscd  wide  arid  plains — planted,  however, 
hrrt:  and  tlaTC  with  olive- [proves,  and  in  tli*,^ 
distance  hjorned  the  Ion  or  blue  hine  of  the  Sierra 
Morena.  Beside  the  railwav,  for  the  whole 
distance,  were  long  rows  of  aloes  and  cactuses. 
The  muddy  Guadalquivir  sometimes  put  in  an 
appearance  :  a  few  herds  of  swine  and  cattle 
tried  to  feed  on  the  drv  scant  o'rass  ;  little  huts 
one  would  hardly  ask  a  donkey  to  live  in, 
where  the  men  who  guarded  them  creep  to 
sleep   at    nii^ht    -were   visible   here   and  there  ; 


T2? 


A   SCAMPER    TI/Rui'GII 


and  an  eagle  sometimes  soared  Into  the  quiver- 


m^r  air. 


At  Almodovar  are  the  tine  ruins  of  a  castle, 
overtopping-    the     whitewashed     little     villaw 
below,  interestinl^^  like   all  this  country,  to  the 
readers  of  Don  Quixote.     So  sure  as  there  is  a 
village  in  Spain,  it   is  whitewashed;    so  sure  as 
there  is  a  man,  he  looks  like  a  brigand  who  has 
mistaken   his   vocation.        In   some    places  the 
husbandmen   were    scratching    the    earth   with 
ploughs  made  out  of  tnxis  drawn   by  l)ullucks  ; 
the    share   is  a  part  of  th(^^   root.     So    we  got 
saft'ly  to  Seville,  a  thing  to  be  thankful    for;    1 
mean  the  safety,  since  tht^    -ival  S[)anish   rail- 
ways having  only  single  lines,  the  down  trains, 
of  course,  have  to  be  shunted  asidt^  at  a  station 
bi-tore  the  up  ones  (\an  pass,  and  nee  versa. 

We  were  disappointinl  with  the  first  view  of 
Seville,  the  '^Marvel  of  Spain,"  the  '*  Ouoen  o\ 
the  Moors/'  &'c.,  ^^c.  It  reminded  us  of  the 
worst  part  of  Xaples---partly,  I  think,  because 
the  railway-station  is  situated  in  one  of  the  very 


SPA  IX  AM)    TAX(;iPR. 


129 


worst  quarters,  as   is  so   often   the  case  in  this 
part  of  the   world.       But   the   greatest  disap- 
pointment  was  the  cathedral— not  the  buildino- 
Itself,    but   because  a  large  portion  has  fallen, 
and    nearly   all    the    nave    and    side-aisles  are 
choked    up    with    the    scaffolding    and   beams 
necessary  to   support  it.      The   height   appears 
tremendous—it  gave  one  the  vertigo  to  gaze  u]) 
mto  its  vast   arches  almost  lost  in  the   clouds; 
the   style  o\    the  architecture   is  much   severer 
and  purer  than  that  of  either  Jiurgos  or  Toledo. 
Ihe  stamed-glass  windows  date  from  1504,  and 
are   the  linest  in    Spain;    the   doors,   and  such 
portions  of  the  exterior  as  have  escaped  de- 
struction, are  very  majestic.      The  Puerta   del 
Perdon  was  tht^  entrance  to  the  mosque  which 
originall}'   stood   on   this   spot,  and  is  the  twin 
sister    to    that    of   the    mosque     of    Cordoba. 
Slowly  as  the  S|)aniards  work,  it  will   be  very 
many  }'ears  befon^  anyone  will  have  an   unin- 
terrupted view  of  the  interior  of  the  glorious 
cathedral  of  Seville,   now  a  mass  of  scaftbld- 

K 


I 
\ 


f  xo 


A    SCAMPER   THROUGH 


SPA IX  A.\D    'PAXGIER. 


U^ 


ings  and  hoardinc^^s.  This  does  not  soem  to 
be  orenerallv  known.  Tht"  STianiards  are 
collectinir  money  in  every  T)0>sii)le  manner  to 
meet  the  yast  expt-nses  ol  the  restoration, 
chari^nno-  admission  to  the  Museo  at  Madrid, 
the  Tobace*^  Factory,  Casa  de  Pilatos,  ascent 
of  the  Giralda,  &'C.,  and  duyr^ting  the  receii)ts 
to  this  object. 

Iloweyer,  we  were  able  to  yisit  the  Sala 
Capitular,  a  most  perk'Ct  InnldinL:",  <>^'<il  in 
form,  said  to  be  the  hnest  specimtai  in  Spain 
of  the  Gra^cu-Roman  >i\h'.  Its  (^iii.'f  attrac- 
tions t<)  me  were  tiv  pa'ntin;!^^  ])\-  MiiriHo. 

Those  who  liavf^  oidx'  stndi-d  this  c:"reat 
artist  in  the   ^^all-ri'-^s  of  j-eie^l^nd.    J-Vancr.  and 


hah-    ma\'    h* 
\[auo;ina>   ar; 


a\-     n:^> 


ext  iir^cd     when    th^}- 
luvv  m  t}pe;    here   the  reverse 


i^  di^lineiiy  the  case.  In  his  "  Conception  of 
the  Virgin"  ::i  I'N  Sala,  the  face  has  the 
liveliest,  holiest  expessicn  ever  rendered  on 
canvas,  and  !s  ideal  in  tvpr^ ;  hvpercriticism 
might   suggest    that    the    drapery    \->    a    little 


heavy,  that  is  all.  The  eight  pictures  of  saints, 
by  the  same  master,  around  the  chapel  are 
wonderfull}'  hue,  especially  those  of  Santa 
Justa  and  Santa  Ruhna. 

A\T'  ascended  the  beautiful  tower  called  the 
Giralda,  a  most  easy  task  since  it  is  done  on 
an  inclined  plane,  up  which  a  horse  might 
walk  nearly  to  the  too.  So  far  as  the  Moors 
worked,  which  was  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet, 
the  architei^ture  is  lo\-ely,  and  the  material 
ex(|uisite]\'  tinttd  bricks  ;  but  higher  up,  where 
the  Spaniards  built  in  white  marble,  it  ceases 
to  interest  me.  It  was  erected  in  1 196,  is  three 
liundred  and  iblv  feet  in  heii/ht,  and  contains 
some  hue-r^  bells.     The    \'iew  fi'om   the  summit 


is    crlorions.      V 


rni'^^'l^'  it  was  tht^  tower  of 


ni')S'|iif.    nn-i    irern 


he    niiit.'ddin    cntel    liie 


li«  >ur  lur  praver. 

The  accompan)ing  sketch  of  the  Giralda 
was  taken  from  the  Court  of  Oranges,  near 
the  Sagrario,  one  evening  when  it  rose  like  a 
tall   pink  shaft  into  a  sky  trembling  with  the 

K  2 


I 


n^ 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


purple  light  which  Spain,  and  Spain  only,  has 
borrowed  from  Africa.  The  last  rays  of  the 
setting-  sun  bathed  buttress  and  pinnacle  in 
golden  light,  and  the  soft  perfume  of  the 
orange-trees,  borne  on  the  gentle  airs,  lapped 
one's  senses  in  a  dream  of  Taradise ;  the 
eentle  fall  of  wder  into  the  fountain  in  the 
distance  was  just  audible  where  I  sat.  Aj  this 
sounds  pleasant,  but  some  boys  were  'ware  of 
the  sketching,  and  crowded  round.     Vcybiini  sap. 

The  fountain  was  the  original  one  used  by 
the  Moslems.  In  the  corner  is  a  staircase  lead- 
ing to  the  famous  Columbine  Library,  and  to 
the  left  is  a  stone  pulpit  where  San  Francis 
has  preached. 

The  euide  who  showed  us  over  the  cathedral 
told  us  that  the  accident  to  the  building  took 
place  in  i8S8;  some  workmen,  who  were 
restoring,  took  a  large  stone  out  of  one  of 
the  columns  to  replace  it  with  a  new  one, 
but  before  the  latter  was  placed,  the  bovcdas^ 
or  roofs,  and  four  columns  fell,  destroying  the 


I 


;*• 


i 


« 


■*1. 


-       .1-/  U-#^; 


The  Giralda. 


1 34 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


inu5i  buaiitiiui  ["1111)11.     Uf  the  fourteen  work- 

X 

rrirn  tmployed,  not  one  was  killed.    It  is  doubt- 


•  1 1 


tiU;\-  wki  u\-r  iM'  aij.'-  to  reconbtruci  uie 
portion,  for  thi>  iui^^'t-  pile  secni-^  t'^^  have 
exceo(l^ai  tlu'  limit  f)f  size  it  i^  p^i^^-ible  for  man 
to  l)U!io.  The  ^t'jnt:  is  a  ricii,  m-Tow  x'rH-jw, 
ant]  th^' e\'eninL[  sun-rcU's  iciiiinL;-  < -n  it  makf  it 
look  like  a  pcilaco  oi  L^'okL  1  ho  \'auntoJ  7"(jrrc 
d'Oro  owes  its  name  to  this  circuiia^ianeej  but 
hs  not  otherwise  beautiful. 

Ihe  Alcazar,  castle  or  Moorish  palace,  is 
like  a  iairy  scene.  U}ie  fuv}\'  a  iubjiiratio)! 
seized  me  here,  and  I  have  no  words  in  which 
to  describe  the  deHcate  architecture — carved 
windows,  which  repel  rather  than  admit  the 
superabundant  li-^ht  in  this  hot  climate,  heavy 
carved  and  gilt  doors  rolling  in  their  huge 
pivots,  airy  arches,  ceilings  of  panelled  wood, 
and  painted  interiors.  I  can  only  say  that  it  is 
nearly  a  perfect  specimen  of  the  pure  Moorish 
architecture  of  iiSi.  The  visitor  passes 
through    room    after    room    of    that    exquisite 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER, 


135 


> 


and  delicate  work  which  we  are  apt  to  associate 
with  the  Alhambra  only;  the  Rooms  of  the 
Ambassadors,  of  the  i^rinci-,  of  vaQ  Sultarois, 
have  ear]]  li  »*ir  special  anil  a[)|>ro|3riaLe 
colouring-,  1  hi'  vauited  roof  of  the  Sala  de 
los  KmbajaJuies  is  a  thing  ol  beauty  to  be 
remt^nibered  forever.  The  intdia  Jiarauja 
half-orange,  as  the  Moors  call  cupolas,  is  of 
admirable  proportions  and  work.  One  begins 
at  last  to  believe  the  proverb — 

*'  (,)u!en  no  ha  visto  Sevilla 
No  lia  V15I0  maravilla." 

The  most  romantic  gardens  imaginable  are 
the  gardens  of  the  Alcazar.  Greatly  improved 
by  the  Spanish  kings,  they  are  visions  of  love- 
liness, where  tall  palm-trees,  huge  magnolias, 
roses,  myrtles,  tile-encased  pavilions,  marble 
baths  and  fountains,  blend  into  a  perfect  scene 
from  the  Arabian  Nights.  No  one  w^ould  be 
surprised  to  see  the  dark-eyed  beauties  of  the 
harem    suddenly  re-peopling    the  fairy    scene. 


f     -  h. 


A  S(\\Mn:R  ri/RuCuii 


There  are  some  underground  'oaths  and  [irisons, 
the  latter  for  the  benefit  r»f  the  sultan's  refrac- 
tor}' wi\'es  ;  and  the  |)aLi("t'  onc^c  extended  so 
tar  as  the  T^rrt.^  d'0r(3  h\'  the  riv'^r. 

The^  outside  of  the  Aleazar,  a^  is  usual 
with  Moorish  buildings,  is  pkun  ;  it  has  no 
windows,  is  battlemented  and  supported  here 
and  there  bv  buttresses.  Th*  Patio  de  las 
Doncellas  is  a  maL^niho'ut  court,  surrounded 
by  fit'ty-two  marble  columns,  and,  like  manv 
another  before  us,  we  were  dumb  with  admira- 
tion when  we  entered  its  shadowy  arcades. 
Trulv  tlie  Moors  knew  better  than  anv  other 
nation  how  to  defy  the  h^'at,  and  mak(3  lite  worth 
livin^C,^  even  in  this  almost  troj)ical  temperature. 

The  treasures  of  the  cathedral,  which  are  kept 
in  the  Sagrestia  .\bi\or,  are  very  numerous 
and  valuable  ;  a  cnsfoaid  in  silver  twenty-five 
ieet  in  height,  numerous  chalices,  monstrants, 
crosses,  &c.,  glittering  witli  jewels,  are  shown, 
together  with  a  thorn  from  the  crown  of  thorns, 
a  CUT)  mad^'  fVom  the  first  e'okl  that  came  from 


SPA IX  AXD    TAXGIER. 


^37 


* 


\ 


America,  and  the  keys  of  Seville  given  bv  the 
^Moorish  king  to  Saint  Ferdinand.  To  quote 
a  French  author  : — "  Vous  nagez  dans  Tor, 
rarirent,  les  nierreries,  le  brocart,  les  ornements 
incomparables."  The  most  remarkable  of 
these  treasures  is  the  cusfodia,  which  is  **  twelve 
stages  high,  and  formed  of  four  stages,  resting 
on  ninety-six  beautifully  ornamented  pillarets. 
The  allerarical  statuettes — the  children,  vine- 
work,  rt/itvos — all  is  beautiful."  It  weighs 
forty-eight  arrohas,  so  I  suppose  it  is  the  largest 
piece  of  goldsmith's  work  in  the  world.  In  the 
same  vast  hall  is  a  "  ]\Iadonna  Dolorosa"  by 
Murillo,  most  exquisite  in  expression  ;  he  w^as 
a  master  of  expression  as  well  as  of  colour. 
The  priests'  vestments  kept  in  presses  here,  are 
superb  specimens  of  embroidery,  dating  from 
the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries,  and  said 
to  be  unequalled. 

In  the  Capilla  Real,  behind  the  high  altar  of 
the  cathedral,  lies  the  body  of  San  Ferdinand, 
in  a  coffer  of  massive  silver,  placed  on  a  jasper 


k 


^ 


n^ 


A   SCAMPlK    riiR:  >(■<;!/ 


altar.      The  body  is  even    now  well  px^eser\eJ, 
and  //  is  saiJ  tht^  swellin--   of  one   of  Ins   feet, 
where    he    had   the    q-^uit,    mav    still    1;-   sec^i. 
Pj^'hind  the   tomb   is   an    im:i^:^^e   of  tlie   X'ir^in, 
"Our  Lad}-  or"  Kin^^'-s,"  -iv^n  ])\'  Saint  Louis  to 
Sair.t  Ferdinand.     It  is  of  wood,  and  has  articu- 
lations, so  that  she  can  staPid  or  sit ;   at  j)resent 
this  venerable    relic   is    covered   with    jjrecious 
stones   given    by    her   admirers,   and    wears    a 
crown  of  large   emeralds.     You  descend  a  few 
steps  beside  the  altar,  and  there,  arranged  on 
shelves  like  so  many  jars,  are  the  cottin  in  whicn 
the   bodv  of  the    saint   was  oric'inallv  placed, 
the    coftms   containinor    the    remains  of   Dofia 
Maria  de    Padilla,   the  celebrated   mistress   of 
Pedro  the  Cruel,   of  Dona  I^eatrix,  the  wife  of 
San   Ferdinand,   and  of  Alfonso   the   Learned. 
The  interior  of  the   cupola   is  very  fine,  and   is 
decorated  with     statues    of    all    the  kin<^es    of 
Spain.     Let  us  now  tear  ourselves  away  from 
the  cathedral  for  a  time,  and  visit  the  picture- 
s^allerv. 


SPAiy  AM)    TAXGirR. 


139 


■ 


This  i\Iuseo  is  contained  in  a  building  which 
was    formerly    a    convent    and   church    ot    the 
Franciscans.      l^he   lower  floor  contains  some 
marble    fragments    from    Italica,    of   no    great 
merit  ;   vou    pass    u})   a  fine  marble  staircase 
and  find  yourself  in  the  presence  of  the  greatest 
works  of  Murillo.      Llere   he   rises  to  sublime 
heights  of  painting,  and  may  be  said  to  rival, 
if  not  surpass,  \'elasquez,  who,  though  he  was 
born    in    Seville,  is   unrepresented  here.       He 
has  the  honour  of  a    room  to   himself  in  this, 
the      finest     picture-gallery     in     Spain     after 
■Madrid.      The    greatest  work    of   this    superb 
master    is,    to    my    mind,    "Santo    Tomas   de 
\allanueva  giving  Alms."     Never  have  I  seen 
finer  colour,  composition,  chiaroscuro,  expres- 
sion— in  fine,  everything  that  makes  a  master- 
piece.      The    saint's  head   is    an    epitome    of 
charity  and    goodness  ;    the    kneeling   beggar 
is  life  itself.       Most  artists  do  not  know   their 
best   works,    but    Murillo   was    right  when    he 
called  this   '"mi  cuadro,"   and  preferred   it  to 


140 


A    SCAMPER    THROK;// 


all  his  Other  works.  An  amateur  even,  writing 
of  this  gallery,  says  :— ''  Douze  ou  quinze  toiles 
de  iMurillo,  qui  sont  reunies  la,  meritent  a 
elles  seules  qu'on  iasse  cinq  cents  lieues.'* 
The  "  Saint  Thomas''  was  erreatlv  admired  bv 
Wilkie,  who  also  calls  it  the  finest  picture  by 
this  master.  Nearly  as  fine  is  ''Saint  Francis 
embracing  the  Crucified  Saviour  ;  "  the  heads 
are  magnificent,  but  I  could  not  get  over  the 
impossibility  of  the  situation. 

*'St.  Felix  de  Cantalicia  with  the  Infant 
Jesus  in  his  Arms  "  is  anotlier  masterpiece  ;  the 
child  is  the  best  this  artist,  who  excelled  in 
children,  ever  painted,  warm  flesh  and  blood  in 
glow^ing  sunlight.  "Saints  Leandro  and  Buena- 
ventura "  is  remarkable  for  the  broad  and 
simple  treatment  of  the  draperies.  "Saint 
Joseph  and  the  Child"  is  a  fine  work — the 
nestling  head  of  the  child  particularlv  tender. 

In  all  Murillo's  works  I  notice  his  perfect 
masterv  in  the  treatment  of  hands.  ''  wSaint 
Anton}'  or  Padua"  bt^lungs  tu  the  same  list  ol 


SPALX  AM)    PAXGIHR. 


141 


' 


. 


exalted  masterpieces ;  the  expression  of  the 
saint's  face  is  rendered  as  if  by  a  miracle;  it 
seems  as  if  human  hands  could  never  produce 
such  a  marvel  of  art. 

The  other  pictures  in  this  collection  I  did 
not  find  interesting — In  the  presence  of  Murillo 
they  wcve  like  lamps  w^hen  the  sun  Is  shining — 
all  seemed  hard  and  cold  beside  the  works  of 
the  great  master  of  atmosphere,  colour,  and 
expression.  Three  specimens  of  sculpture, 
perhaps  the  very  finest  of  their  kind,  are  placed 
In  this  room.  Santo  Domingo  and  San  Bruno 
are  by  the  Spaniard  Montaiies,  while  Torre- 
giano,  the  sculptor  of  Henry  YII.'s  sepulchre 
In  Westminster  Abbey,  is  the  artist  of  the 
third — "  St.  Jerome  striking  Himself  with  a 
Stone  in  the  Act  of  Penance."  The  expres- 
sion In  these  works  is  very  forcible. 

In  search  after  ]\IurIIlos,  more  eager  than  that 
of  the  o-old-di^-orer  for  his  fatal  ore,  we  visited 
many  churches  in  Seville.  Very  celebrated 
are    those    pictures    of  his    which    are   In   the 


14: 


A  scaj/j'a/^   niiiuL'in 


Church  a:i  1  1 1  jspital  of  La  Carldad.  After 
knockinq-,  we  were  admitted  by  the  kind  and 
gentle-looking-  sisters;  how  lucky  for  them  that 
taeir  founder  had  ariistic  intuition  enoueh  to 
give  co!]i:n;>Muii^  to  M  irillo  instead  of  to 
ciii  interior  painter,  for  the  pictures  remain  in 
statu  quo,  and  form  a  lucrative  source  of  revenue 
to  the  chiri'y'  This  institution  was  founded 
bv  a  voung  nobleman,  Don  Miguel  de  Manara, 
who  was  relebrated  for  his  reckless  profligacy, 
but  who  reformed,  and  died  a  perfect  example 
of  piety. 

It  is  ten  thousand  pities  that  the  church  is  so 
dark,  and  the  pictures  so  high,  that  one  can 
scarcely  form  an  opinion  about  them.  Yet 
f-v-en  in  the  gloom,  that  called  "^  I,  '^ed,"  or 
'•  Moses  striking  the  Rock,"  and  the  *  .viiracle 
of  the  Loaves  and  Fishes,"  could  be  distin- 
guished as  masterpieces,  though,  I  am  inclined 
to  think,  a  little  inferior  to  the  great  works  in 
the  Museo  here,  and  in  San  Fernando  in  Madrid. 
A  head  of  the  Saviour  as  a  boy,  and  another 


I 


^■\i 


of  Saint  John  the  Baptist,  placed  under  sepa- 
rate altars,  an"  pa'ntci]  b\*  Mariilo,  an  J  are 
wni'thy  of  him.  I  do  not  share  Wilkie's 
adauration  of  "  ::)dn  jacUi  de  DIos  with  an 
Ancrel  ;  "  it  appear^  lu  me  black  and  spottv. 

Here  are  also  two  driaJiul  pictures  by 
Valdes  Leal,  one  representing  the  half-decayed  J 
body  of  a  bishop,  the  other  a  skeleton  treading 
over  a  globe.  It  is  the  right  thing  to  senti- 
mentalise over  these  works,  anil  r<  peat  the  taie 
of  how  Murillo,  on  seeing  them,  exclaimed, 
'  Une  cannot  look  ai  )uur  picture^,  Leal, 
without  holding  one's  nose."  Lu  .king  at  them, 
notwithstanding,  from  an  artist's  point  of  view, 
they  are  mistaken  in  subject,  and  hard  and  dry 
in  execution.  More  worthy  of  sentina  iiaa  re- 
mark is  the  epitaph  on  the  founder's  tomb  on 
the  threshold  of  the  sacristla  : — *'  Cenizas  del 
peor  hombre  que  ha  habido  en  el  mundo/'* 

La   Caridad    also   possesses  a  fine    "  Ecce 
Homo"  by  Alonzo  Cano,  and,  like  all  the  other 

*  ''  Ashes  of  the  worst  man  in  the  world." 


I  ! 


144. 


A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


HS 


churches  here,  specimens  of  Spanish  sculp- 
ture in  wood,  coloured  after  nature.  I  am 
far   from    despising  these   in  their  places,  they 

are  ^o    admirable    in    expression    and   model- 


.ne. 


San  Saixaai-aa  cin  ancient  mu:-qiiL'  r'jULinl, 
contain^  the  m(j>l  w.-.;nin  inul  }ctahlo  in  the  wur^t 
imai^-inabhj  taste.  Gilt  scr^u]>  i):h''l  up  and 
hanq-iiv^'"  forward,  mixed  witli  tlxan^i^-  ant^-rds 
and  cherubs  painted  the  coh)ur  of  lire:  under- 
neath, a  life-sized  fii^aire  of  Clirist,  bearing  a 
cross  eilt  at  the  ends,  wearini'-  a  velvet  robe 
embroidered  with  gold,  and  having  three 
(apparently;  large  gilt  hairpins  stuck  in  his 
head;  or  the  same  personage,  sitting  in  a 
pensive  attitude,  streaming  with  blood,  and 
crowned  ;  or  a  distresseddooking  \hrgin  in 
recal  attire,  carrvinir  the  everlastincr  lace  hand- 
kerchief;  or,  perhaps,  a  Bambino  exactly  like 
a  doll,  dressed  in  lace  and  wearing  brooches, 
chains,  &c. — such  are  the  principal  recollections 
brought  from  Spanish  churches.     San  Salvador 


E" 


rejoices  in  the  possession  of  a  nn  racle-working 
image  of  Christ,  called  ''  Cristo  de  los  Desam- 
parados,"  which  is  very  popular,  and  the 
chapel  in  whicli  it  is  placed  glitters  witli  gold 
and  h  14 111. 

Idle  Casa  de  Idlatos  is  so  called  bt:-caiise 
the  foundu.T  had  the  not  very  brilliant  idea  of 
building"  it  in  imitation  of  the  house  of  Pontius 
Pilate  in  Jerusalem.  Tt  consists  of  some  elegant 
Moorish  rooms,  opening  on  to  an  exquisite 
patio  of  two  galleries,  with  a  fountain  in  the 
centre. 

The  Greek  statues  in  the  angles  do  not,  in 
my  opinion,  harmonise  with  it.  What  the 
visitor  principally  notices  is  the  variety  and 
beauty  of  the  iridescent  azuLjos,  or  tiles,  with 
which  the  lower  part  of  the  walls  is  lined  for 
about  ten  feet  from  the  floor ;  above  this  is  the 
usual  Alhambraic  stucco  ornament. 

The  doors  and  shutters  are  old  and  extremely 
fine.  One  room  represents  the  pra^torium  of 
Pilate,  and  in  it  Is  a  copy  of  the  table  on  which 


J 


14^ 


A    SCAMPKR    TI/ROr';il 


the  thirty  pieces  of  silver  were  counted  out.  Tii 
the  ccHd.  or  chapel,  is  a  eop\'  of  the  column  to 
which  Jesus  Christ  was  1)oun(h  ;L;iven  i)\'  I'ius  W 
t<,)  the  lir^t  Duke  of  Aicahi.  Curiou-lv  onou'''h, 
it  IS  as  diffcn/nt  from  the  '' rr^ai  "  c'tienv', 
snown  m  St.  Peter':?,  Rome,  a^  it  eun  \<^j^<,i\j\y 
be,  the  SuvlHlan  v\\\cs  bein-  short,  straight, 
aiiii  iA  pink  marble,  while  the  R  nia  i  i-  a  rich, 
twisted  column,  \ery  tall,  and  made  of  white 
Greek  mar})Ie. 

Seville,  lik^  nv>-t  :::>pani>h  cities  !  have 
described,  if  we  exeepi  Toledo,  lies  on  a  plain  ; 
It  is  all  white,  but  the  houses  are  relieved  with 
balconies,  rniradors,  plants,  different-coloured 
shutt  Ts,  &€.  The  streets  are  narrow:  through 
but  lew  of  ih^ni  ran  a  carriage  pass.  The 
pr-i  :ri[ei!   one  for  business  is  the  Sierpes,  and 


iiu  vehicle  is  permiiieJ  to  traverse  ii — which 
makes  it  plea-am  lur  pedestrians.  The  shops 
are  curious  ;  those  of  the  drapers  and  most 
others  are  open  to  the  streets,  without  doors  or 
w'ndo\v=,   and  the    counters  r_:n   alone  at  the 


¥ 


L 


. 


SPMX  AXD    TAX(rIER. 


U7 


I)ack,  wli(/re  may  be  seen  the  assistants  smokim^ 
cii^-arettes.  llie  awninL^'s  stretched  across  the 
streets  from  house  to  liouse  ^nve  a  verv  oleasarit 
effect  of  Hi^lit  and  shade,  and  may  be  drawn 
at  pl<  asure. 

nf  cnurso,  the  boys  are  troublesome  here, 
a-  priests  are  as  bad:   what   can  we  hope 


:lno 


for    the  future    of  b 


paj 


wii^-'i   the  euides   lo 


i^ 


improvement  and  morality  have  so  hopelessly 
lost  their  way?  Party  feeling  runs  very  high, 
but  at  this  moment  a  romantic  devotion  to  "el 
rey-niiio  "  seems  to  predominate.  "Pv  the  way, 
1  always  find  myself  describim^  tiio  rathedrals 
and  museums  first,  and  the  cily  wliieh  eontains 
them  last ;  this  must  be  because  the  latter  is 
nothing  but  the  frame,  as  it  were,  to  those 
glorious  pictures. 

By  taking  a  tram  to  Triana,  one  can  walk 
thence  to  the  celebrated  porcelain  factory 
of  Messrs.  Pickford  c^  Companv,  established 
in  an  old  cartiija,  ur  Carthusiari  monastery, 
Triana  is  a  suburb  of   the    town,   across  the 

L    2 


pi 


148 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


149 


It  1 


\.  ! 


river,  inhabited  by  the  lower  classes  and  by 
gipsies,  where  Miirillo  is  said  to  have  selected 
his  models.  Like  many  other  things  about 
Seville,  its  characteristics  are  generally  exag- 
eferated  in 'books. 

The  manufactory  of  porcelain  is  immense, 
ail' I  splendid  clay  is  found  in  the  Guadal- 
quivir close  by,  but  the  pottery  is  of  the  usual 
common  French  and  English  sort,  and  we  did 
not  care  to  purchase  a  specimen.  Hundreds  of 
men  and  w^omen  are  employed  there,  and 
though  it  seemed  a  pity  to  put  the  poor  old 
church  to  this  use,  the  establishment  does  a 
great  deal  of  good  in  giving  employment  to  so 
many  people.  Some  of  the  Spanish  workmen 
appeared  real/y  to  do  a  little  work,  though  they 
kept  their   cigarettes   between    their  teeth    as 

usual. 

Walking  in  summer  is  rendered  difficult  by 
the  roads  being  nothing  but  a  sea  of  dust, 
and  in  winter  nothing  but  mud.  The  strings 
of  mules   and   donkeys— white,    grey,    brown, 


spotted,  piebald,  and  of  every  imaginable 
hue,  with  their  many-coloured  trappings  — 
are  among  the  most  picturesque  sights  in 
Seville. 

.  The  riding  of  the  men  is  magnificent — they 
seem  glued  to  their  horses  and  be  one  with 
them  ;  hence  the  movement  is  most  easy  and 
graceful ;  they  must  look  like  centaurs,  or 
preferably,    centaurs   must    have   looked    like 

them. 

The  eirls  of  the  lower  classes  are  a  brilliant 
sight  on  Sunday,  wearing  yellow,  black,  and 
white  shawls  embroidered  with  the  most  vivid 
colours,  and  having  more  flowers  than  usual  in 
their  hair;  flowers  appear  the  one  luxury  of 
their  lives.  Vegetation  in  the  gardens  is  most 
luxuriant;  plants  which  only  flourish  in  hot- 
houses in  England  here  reach  the  dignity 
of  shrubs;  cockscombs  grow  to  four  feet  in 
height,  gum-trees  seem  not  to  be  aware  they 
are  not  in  their  native  Australian  bush,  dates 
ripen  on  the  palm-trees,  anil  liuge  oleanders 


ISO 


A  SCAMPER  THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


151 


1 1 


are  full  of  blossom.     The  Alameda  de   Her- 
cules, a  shabby  promenade,  scarcely  repays  a 

visit. 

The  friendly  feeling-  I  have  before  remarked 
as  existing  between  master  and  servant  is 
found  here  also.  A  tale  is  told  at  the  dinner 
table,  the  waiter  caps  it;  a  piece  of  news  is 
related,  t!iu  servant  gives  his  additional  in- 
formation, this  does  not  prevent  h -u  from 
handing  the  next  dish  most  politely,  with  the 
r-nrirk  that  it  is  ^'un  plato  muy  bueno." 

The  mai  Is  also  entertain  you  with  remarks 
and  No-crc^  while  they  are  doing-  up  your 
^^^^^--  ^^  course,  these  comments  do  not 
refer  to  the  upper  classes  of  society,  of 
which  I  liaJ  no  opportunity  of  judging.  The 
Spaniar  1-  ;.:■;  not  at  all  a  grasping  people; 
they  do  not  try  to  wring  the  uttermost  cuario 
nut  of  you,  and  make  but  little  effort  to  sell 
their  wares.  We  bought  two  little  vases  in 
a  shop  one  day,  and  afterwards  decided  to 
purchase  a   third,   but    the  shopkeeper    said, 


161 


wrapping  it  up  in  paper,  it  was  a  regalo  (gift), 
and  we  accepted  it. 

Neither  are  they  interested  in  improving  their 
position,  and  seem  happy  as  they  are.  But  it 
is  these  very  things  that  help  to  make  them  so 
impossible  as  a  nation  ;  moreover,  you  cannot 
depend  on  them,  and  no  coercion  has  the  least 

effect. 

In  the  baptistery  of  the  cathedral  may  be 
seen  one  of  the  masterpieces  of  Murillo — 
nearly  all  his  pictures  are  masterpieces,-^'^  The 
Infant  Jesus,  surrounded  by  Angels,  appearing 
to  Saint  Anthony."  I  canii  )t  describe  it  better 
than  by  saying  it  looks  as  though  Heaven 
really  opened,  and  the  lovel)  Child  appeared 
in  the  glorious  light  which  issues  thence.  The 
utter  devotion  of  the  kneeling  saint  is  expressed 
in  the  most  wonderful  manner,  the  tender  glory 
of  the  Child  is  most  touching,  an  1  the  com- 
position of  light  and  shade  is  equal  to  anything 
Rembrandt  ever  produced.  The  whole  scene 
seems  literally  swimming  in  sunlight.     Above 


^ 


ill 

it 

[I 


in 


V  i 
11 ' 


li^Z 


SPAIlY  AND  TANGIER. 


ihis    grand    work    hangs    **The    Baptism    of 

^-^^^r.<,  uy  the  same  great  master,  equally 
glorious  in  colour.  Murillo  has  deservedly  his 
two  statues,  one  in  Madrid,  and  another  here ; 
but  nowhere  have  I  seen  one  erected  to  Velas- 
quez, who  shar^N  with  him  the  honour  of  being 
the  g-reatesi  ]';unt-r  ui"  worja  has  seen. 

Ui  course,  \\c  went  to  the  tobacco  manu- 
factor}',  an  extensive  building,  with  twenty-eight 
patios,  and  numberless  rooms,  galleries,  &c. 
Art  fl\e  thousand  girls  are  there,  seated 
at  low  tables,  making  cigars  and  cigarettes, 
chatt  ring  and  laughing  the  whole  time,  and 
urc^^bcJ,  or  railicr  undressed  in  the  gayest 
colour:^.  Tiic)  take  off  their  dresses,  boots, 
^L.,  un  Liitrniig,  and  hang  them  round  the 
room ;  some  keep  flowers  in  their  hair,  others 
put  them  in  wat-r  to  keep  fresh  till  they  leave 
their  work. 

Mo^t  -e  of  the  boasted  type  of  Sevillana 
beauty,  that  is,  with  lustrous  deep  eyes  set 
in  dark  orbits,  j  a  e  complexions,  and  piles  of 


T 


k 


r--. 


Una  Cigarrera. 


I? 

t! 


If  I 


i:  f 


154 


A  SCAMPER  THROUGH 


y  deftly.     They  are 


hair,  and  every  one  has  beautiful  hands.     They 

range  in  ?.^(^  from  twelve  to  sixty;  the  older 
ones  seem  to  make  cigars,  the  younger  ciga- 
rettes, and  they  w-ri.  w. 
l^ild  ci  peseta  a  day,  and,  of  course,  cannot 
live  o:  I'.at  alone.  '*  The  cigarreras  oi  Seville 
f*  rm  n  special  class,  like  the  grisettes  of  Bor- 
deaux an!  Ikiyonne,"  and  do  not  seem  averse 
to  a  cigarette  themselves.  Some  had  brought 
their  babies,  who  were  lying  in  cradles  at  their 
feet  while  the)  wuiKed.  The  food  sold  them 
in  ihc  building    seemed  to   consist  mainly  of 


frie 


u 


tlie  odour  of  the  whole  place  was 


almost  insupportable. 

Mnivofthe  girls  begged,  and  pulled  our 
dresses  a^  w^  passed.  I  was  rather  reminded 
of  a  menagerie  of  wild  animals,  and  indeed, 
the  services  of  the  two  persons,  a  man  and  n 
woman,  wiiu  aLLuiiipanied  us  closely  through- 
uut    u.ci'    \;:^:i,    were    not    unnecessary.      The 


effect 


ui    c 


olou 


r    m 


looking   down    the   long 


rooms,    full     of   brilliant    sunii-:.t,    where    so 


C::> 


ii^'^USS^^^-- 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


155 


. 


many  gaily  dressed  girls  were  bending  over 
their  work,  was  almost  dazzling. 

The  drive  to  Italica,  the  remains  of  the  city 
where  Trajan,  Adrian,  and  Theodosius  first 
saw  the  light,  occupied  an  hour  over  a  road 
which  was  literally  a  bed  of  dust.  The  amphi- 
theatre is  the  only  thing  to  see  there  now ;  it 
was  built  to  contain  twenty  thousand  persons, 
and  the  remains  are  Titanic.  Tt  was  over- 
thrown by  an  earthquake,  and  the  liuge  piles 
of  masonry  lying  round  rem  ndcd  me  of  Capri, 
where  masses  of  brickwork  may  be  seen,  hurled 
from  great  heights,  and  yet  unbroken.  The 
[1  at  form  where  the  magistrates  sat,  seats  for 
the  people,  doors,  lions'  dens,  and  sudarii 
where  the  gladiators  prepared  themselves  for 
the  fight,  are  shown,  but  at  present  there  are 
no  excavations  going  on.  1  l^c  notice  which 
meets  your  gaze  as  you  desemd  ir  nn  vonr 
carriage,  *'No  se  permite  rentrada;'  simply 
means,  being  interpreted,  that  yuu  muhi  fee 
the   guardian.       The   views   there    were   very 


156 


A    SCAMPER  THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


157 


wild    and    savage    in   the  fading   light   of  the 
L^rtober  evening. 

il  1:5  ^a id  t:;at  iKiiira  wa^  tViunurd  u}  ::)cipio 
Aincanui  a^  a  rc:5liii^  jMacu  lur  lur^  cuHX'alccj- 
ceiit  and  wounded  ^uidicfb  alirr  the  caiii|icii^ii 
against  thtj  CarthaL^'inians  ;  it  iiiu^t,  at  an\' 
rate,  have  been  an  impertant  i)laee  to  have 
possessed  so  large  and  handsome  an  amphi- 
theatre. 

Lvini-'-  in  the  folds  of  the  hills,  it  has  been  Ijut 
partially  excavated;  beneath  them  may  be 
buried  many  other  Roman  remains,  but  the 
Spanish  Exchequer  does  not  permit  the  luxury 
of  much  antiquarian  research. 

The  guardian  of  these  ruins  is  a  typical 
Spaniard  ;  he  took  us  to  his  cabin  in  the  circus, 
dark  and  small,  and  sold  us  a  few  coins  he  had 
found.  He  lives  there  alone  all  the  year  ;  what 
would  not  an  artist  give  for  such  a  residence 
for  a  few  months  of  sketching  weather? 

Near  Italica  is  the  church  and  monastery  of 
Santo  Ponce,  founded  in  1301,  very  extensive 


and  ancient  in  appearance,  but  we  did  not  enter 
it.  It  would  not  be  possible  for  a  <mal1  unpro- 
tected party  of  ladies  to  -tav  hi  re  1  )r  a  ni^ni  ; 
the  ppoplo  looked  ver\'  wild,  or  1  snouUl  nave 
made  sonic  ski  tehes.  Strini^s  oi  the  colobratod 
mules  and  donkey^,  lor  which  Spain  is  remark- 
able, met  us  at  every  turn  of  the  road. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  sights  in  Seville 
to  the  artist,  is  the  gipsy  dances  to  be  seen  in 
a  caR  clianianL  A  large  room,  containing  a 
number  of  small  tables,  at  which  sit  visitors 
drinking  water,  coffee,  or,  rarely,  a  coarse 
spirit  known  as  aguardiente,  a  few  seats  in  the 
gallery  for  spectators,  a  tiny  stage  in  one 
corner,  in  front  of  which  is  a  piano — such  are 
the  surroundings.  At  the  back  of  the  stage 
were  seated  five  men,  four  holding  guitars,  the 
other  with  a  stick  ;  at  both  sides  were  rush- 
bottomed  chairs,  on  which  the  girls  who  are 
performing,  sixteen  in  number,  sat  during  the 

intervals. 

These  gitanas  are   magnificent  creatures,  tall 


^ 


i 


Ivs 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


and  having-  superb  figures,  and  wild  almost 
savage  faces  ;  ordinarily  attired  as  to  dress,  but 
all  wearing  a  gay  shawl  peculiarly  draped,  and 
flowers  in  their  hair.  Suddenly  the  reverend- 
lookino-  individual  with  the  stick  bei^-an  to  use 
it  vigorously  on  his  chair,  and  all  the  girls  on 
their  seats  to  clap  their  hands  in  time;  at  the 
same  time  everv  ijuitar  was  thrummed.  This 
went  on  f)r  a  considerable  time.  At  last,  as  it 
the  spirit  moved  Ikt  and  .^Iip  could  not  hrip  it, 
one  of  the  girls  got  up,  and  pcrtormfd  tliat  sin- 


rr 


ular  dancr  which  (^on^i^t>  more  in  unduiaii*)'!^ 


of  tht/  bodv  and  wax'iiig  ni  uir-  ,irnis  and  hand-, 
than  m  niovcnir-nt  ul  liir  ict-t.  i  iii;^  >he  con- 
tinued fjr   -onv:    tiin-'.    diul,    animated   h\'  t:ie 


rvt-'t-   ()?    V'-^    company )!! >,    she 


'  i ' 
i 


gradiialh'  lit-gan  to  ninv^  fa^t^^r  and  la^t^T. 
11]^'  t'X(ht^'nv'^t  iiKr-^i^cd,  thf  man  w:ln  the 
stick  broke  l*jrth  intv*  a  wild  tniant  at  inbTx-ais 
best  known  to  himr^eil.  At  ki^t,  wimn  thn  girl 
was  tired  of  her  graceful  movonitaits  and  wild 
gestures,   during   wiiich  she  also   clapped    he-r 


I 


I. 

I 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


JS9 


hands    and  snapped  her  fingers  so   as  to  re- 
semble  the  noise  made   by  castanets,  she  sat 


4-:lA 


Spanish  Gipsy. 

down,    and    another   and    then    another     went 
through  the  same  performance. 


i  00 


..I    SCAMP/:/,    I  11  Ru Lull 


SPAIN  AND   TANGJ//R. 


i6i 


At  one  time  two  (kinct'd  to^cthrr  :  at  an.jtiv-r, 
a  2'irL  co(juettishlv  clrrs>rd  as  a  Spanish  \'f)iith, 
danced  a  different  and  quicker  measure.  TIk^ 
dances  in  no  wav  resemble  wliat  \v(^  are  accus- 
tomed  to  consider  dancing;-;  they  are  more  Hke 
Javanese  dances,  or  the  dancing  of  KL^-i)ytian 
^/;;/cc\s"— posturinys,  in  which  the  feet  have  less 
to  do  than  the  hands  and  arms.  Perhaps  a 
sentimental  person  mii^-ht  call  it  the  poetry  of 
motion.  A  man  afterwards  danced  extremely 
well,  the  difference  between  his  performance 
and  that  of  Encflish  and  French  staq-e  dancers 
being  that  he  danced  to  his  partner,  with 
whom  he  appeared  absorbed,  rather  than  to 
the  spectators. 

Then  these  untamabledooking  beings  sang. 
When  a  girl  sang  a  solo  she  began  by  calling 
for  a  sojjib'ov,  and  one  was  immediately  handed 
or  thrown  to  her  from  amoni]^  the  audience  ; 
with  this  on  her  head,  she  poured  forth  a  wild 
ditty,  tuneful  and  expressive,  in  a  true  uncul- 
tured voice.     They   all   sang  In  chorus  some- 


I 


vk 


*¥ 


times,  laughing  and  dnnringr,  and  mak'ng  manv 
gestiips  as  they  did  so,  almost  acting  the 
song;  iiir\-  siMMned  so  full  of  animal  spirits 
that  tlie  man  who  tried  to  conduct  the  music 
had  rather  an  anxious  time  of  it.  Between  the 
songs,  the  hat  was  thrown  back  amid  the 
audience,  and  the  performers  walked  about  the 
room  and  gallery  interviewn'ng  their  friends : 
I  should  not  like  to  say  that  many  a  flirtation 
did  not  take  place  in  quiet  corners.  Be  that  as 
it  may,  this  gipsy  concert  was  a  curious 
spectacle,  well  worthy  of  study  from  an  artistic 
point  of  view  ;  there  were  no  spider  waists,  but 
I  am  sorry  to  add  every  gitajia  had  spoiled  her 
complexion  by  the  immoderate  use  of  powder. 
I  am  told  these  girls  earn  a  very  good  liveli- 
hood in  this  wav,  receivinqr  as  much  as  five 
and  six  /('.sY-Ar;  a  night. 

Seville  is  so  far  in  advance  as  to  possess  a 
fine  free  library,  due  to  the  munificence  of  a 
son  of  the  immortal  Columbus,  and  called 
after    him    the    ^' Biblioteca    Colombina."       It 

M 


!  62 


J- 


\   SCAMPER    THROUGH 


contains  an  interestin^i;  collection   of  books  on 
Spanish  history  and  literature,  and  some  ^-ood 

portraits. 

On  October  21st  we  left  Seville— "  una  cosa 
preciosa,"  as  its  proud  inhabitants  delit^dit   to 
call   it— which   has    not    c[uite    realised  all   we 
had  heard  said  and  suni,^  about  it.     \\  e  asked 
our  obliging   landlady  to  put  ui)   some  provi- 
sion for  us  during-  the  journey  to  Granada,  as 
IS  always  necessary,  and  she  urged  us  to  take 
a   good  quantity,    "in    case,"    she    remarked, 
'^the  train  should  be  'f^aralys:'  as  it  was  yester- 
day."    Tickets  to  Granada,  second  class,  cost 
thirtv-four  pcsdas    forty   coiUjiios.       The    worst 
cheats   in    Spain    are   the   so-called    omnibus- 
drivers,  who  are  in   league   with  the  lodging- 
house  keepers,  and  do  not  drive  omnibuses  at 
all,  but  two-horse   vehicles   resembling   them, 
for  which  every  passenger  has  to  pay  as  much 
as  if  he  hired  it  for  his  own  special  convenience. 
It  IS  better  to  take  a  cab. 

The     author    of   the    M"hni     O'lx^^cy   well 


k 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


'('i 


i 


observes: — ''Extravagant  laudation  has  im- 
paired the  reputation  of  many  admirable  thing^s, 
and  the  pleasure  of  gazing  at  a  beautiful 
scene  is  often  discounted  by  highly  coloured 
descriptions  of  it." 


'^ 


I. 


>f  ? 


lu 


.i    .V(\!J//V;A'    IIIR<Ji'L,U 


ClIAPTh:R   \'1!I. 

GRANADA    AND    TlIK    AI.IIAMI'RA. 

Til  I  j  oLirne}' 
from  Scvillu  to 
( Iran ad a  occu- 
|)i('d  iv.n  h'>iirs 
and  a  half,  and 
setMiicd  partic^u- 
larl}'  irksome — 
first,  hf'caiiNt; 
Span'^h       lixin,^- 

had    WA  :^Upp!icd 

tile  rc',juircments 

Puerta  Judiciaria.  ^f    Q^J       \  iyorOUS 

con:.t:tLitioii:.  ;  next,  because  you  change  car- 


naj'j^    iwu:*' 


with    all  your  luggage ;    lastly, 
because  the  line  is  most  uneven — in  soiv.r  places 


% 

\ 


'tay. 


SPA/y  AA'f)   TAXir/ER. 


i() 


'i 


dcinq-rToiislv  so — and  the  train  rocks  to  and 
iro  like  a  drunken  man.  At  Marchena  some 
fme  ruins  are  passed,  dilapidated  and  neglected, 
like  Spain  itself.  Before  getting  to  Bobadilla 
the  traveller  goes  through  vast  plains  and 
olive-gardens;  the  stations  consist  of  a  single 
building,  where  a  few  persons,  coming  from 
apparently  nowhere  get  in,  and  others  get  out 
and  disappear  over  the  wastes  as  usual.  At 
Bobadilla,  an  important  junction,  the  scenery  is 
wild  and  picturesque.  Numerous  omnibuses 
met  the  train  at  Granada,  and  great  was  the 
confusion  of  tongues  and  (paarrelling,  indicating 
our  arrival  at  a  show  place. 

The  cath(xlral  at  Granada  seems  to  me  in 
bad  taste  ;  it  is  large,  but  though  I  sincerely 
tried,  I  could  not  admire  it.  It  has  a  few  fine 
pictures.  There  is  a  /^n/J,  well  carved  in 
marble  ;  the  X'irgin  wears  a  crown  as  large  as 
her  whole  bodv.  and  is  further  graced  bv  a  tin 
mantilla.  A  crucifix  in  a  veritable  crinoline 
trimmed  with  lace  is   among  the   curiosities  to 


*-'ii«p»»®***-sssaftS'*^'*'^*' '  '■'■" 


1 66 


A  scAMPKR  TirnorGjf 


be  seen  here.  The  one  [)art  of  the  cathfnh'al 
worthy  of  more  than  a  passinLr  ehanee  is  the 
Capilla  Real,  where,  in  the  scene  of  their 
victories,  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  la  Catolica 
sleep  their  last  slee]).  The  exterior  is  of  fine 
Gothic  architecture  ;  their  tombs,  with  those 
of  Philip  I.  and  Crazy  Jane,  his  wife,  are 
before  the  high  altar,  and  are  miracles  of 
elaborate  carving-.  The  alabaster  recumbent 
statues  seemed  in  the  dim  light  very  fine  ; 
a  vexatious  railing  prevents  one  iroincr  near 
enough  to  examine  them  in  detail.  The 
entrance  to  the  vault  is  behind,  and  there 
you  are  shown  the  old  leaden  coffins  in  which 
the  bodies  repose,  each  simply  marked  with 
an  initial.  That  of  Philip  is  the  identical 
coftm  which  his  wife  used  always  to  have 
carried  about  with  her,  and  passionately 
embrace. 

The  rttablo  of  this  chapel  (which  is  separate 
from  the  cathedral,  and  has  an  especial  chapter 
and  chaplains  of  its  own)  is  of  carved  wood, 


SPMX  AN!)    TAXdlER 


167 


painted  and  gilt,  and  magnificent  of  itb  kind, 
as  is  also  the  Vija,  The  coloured  figures 
of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  kneeling  on  either 
side  of  the  altar  are  supposed  to  be  exact 
portraits  of  these  enterprising  monarchs ;  and 
the  pictures  representing  the  taking  of  Granada 
are  invaluable  as  records  of  costume.  Here 
may  be  seen  her  crown  and  sceptre,  and  his 
sword,  &c. 

Beeears  abound  here,  and  we  are  still 
followed  in  public  by  the  curious  population. 
I  am  rather  w^eary  of  it,  and  shall  not  be  sorry 
to  retire  into  a  little  more  obscurity. 

I  am  a  long  time  coming  to  the  Alhambra, 
simply  because  I  do  not  know  how  to  WTite 
about  it,  and  so  put  it  off.  Was  it  not  Wash- 
ino-ton  Irvine  who  discovered  it,  and  also  has 
almost  the  monopoly  of  describing  it  ?  So  I 
decide  simply  to  write  down  my  impressions 
on  the  spot,  and  eke  out  the  meagre  descrip- 
tions wdth  a  sonnet ;  also  an  inspiration  of  the 
place. 


1 


■.•^^^i^^i^^^^^  . 


i68 


A    S(\\MP/:r   Til  Ron;  If 


* 


\ 


It  is  better  to  be  prosaic  than  fail   in    a  sen- 
timental   description,    and    I    will  first  remark 
that  the   "  Alhambra"  is   the  name  <'-iven  to  a 
height   fortified    by    the   Moors,  of  which  two- 
thirds  are  inaccessible  and  surrounded  l)y  rivers; 
the  other  third   slopes  14-ently  down  to  the  city 
oi  Granada,  and   on  it  is  situated   the   modern 
entrance.      From  it  on  every  side  are  the  most 
exquisite   views— the    Sierra  Nevada    with    its 
hood    of    snow,    the    (leneraliffe,     the     Gipsy 
Caves,    and    the    whole   of  Granada    white  as 
whitewash,  untarnished    by   fo^;-  or  smoke,  can 
make  it,    and    the    lu\uriant    vc-a    which    sur- 
rounds it  can  be  seen  from  this  elevation.      Tht.^ 
entrance  is  up  the  steep  Calle  de  los  Gomeles, 
through  a  gate  in  vile  taste  built_by  Charles  V., 
who  is  responsible  for  ruining  a  great  deal  of 
the  delicate    Moorish   work  here,   even  pullin^- 
down  the  principal  f^ntrance  to  make  room  for 
the   palace   which    he    never    finished.        This 
Puerta  de  las  Granadas  leads  to  groves  of  trees 
which  remind  you  of  an  English  park,  in  whose 


SPA IX  AND    TANGIER. 


l6g 


branches  once  again  you  hear  the  sw^et  birds 
sing ;  passing  through  these  shady  avenues 
the  visitor  comes  to  a  tower  and  gate  of 
magnificent  Moorish  architecture,  the  Puerta 
Judiciaria. 

I  cannot  discuss  the  mystery  of  the  hand 
and  key,  which  are  carved  on  two  stones 
over  this  famous  gate,  but  I  imagine  the  hand 
is  simplv  a  talisman  arainst  the  evil  eve,  as 
we  find  it  so  constantly  used  in  Moorish 
ornament.  The  narrow^  path  inside  this  gate 
leads  to  the  spacious  Plaza  de  los  Algibes 
(Place  of  the  Cisterns),  where  Charles  V.'s 
ungainly  palace  annoys  the  sight  ;  thence  a 
little  side  door  admits  one  to  the  world-famed 
Alhambra.  Then  what  can  I  say?  the  mind 
is  bew^ildered  amid  patios  surrounded  with 
marble  columns  (one  has  so  many  as  one 
hundred  and  fort}-),  rooms  covered  with 
delicate  tracery  like  lace,  window^s  of  alabaster 
whence  are  lovely  views  of  mountain,  river, 
and    i^den  ;     marble    baths,     halls     lined    with 


! 


'0 


■I   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


S-leamino-  a-iilcjos,  roofs  like  the  stalactites  in 
an  ice  cavern,  a  secret  room  from  each  corner 
ot  which  you  may  hear  a  whisper  in  the 
others,  splashing  fountains,  gardens  of  myrtles, 
oleanders,  roses,  chrysanthemums,  &:c.,  and 
other  fairy  scenes,  which  make  you  rub  \our 
eyes  to  fmd  out  wliether  vou  are  dreamin--  or 
not. 

In   some   pkices  are  alcoves   where   sentries 
used  to  stand;   at    other  doors  niches   for   the 
slippers  always  taken  off  on  entering  a  room  by 
the  Moors.      The  mosque  is  a  i)erfect  little  ""em 
of   Moorish    architecture,  but   Charles   \\    has 
been   here  also  before  us,  and  made  a  church 
of  it  by  erecting  a  tasteless  altar  and  eallerv  • 
Christian  devices  alternate  with  verses  from  the 
Koran,  and  two  statues,  resembling  satyrs  but 
called  *'\'ice,"  occupy  a  conspicuous  position. 
The   colouring  is  not  rich,  like  that  of  the 
Alcazar,  at  Se\ille;  the  triicery  is  much  more 
delicate,  and  the  prevailing  tone  is  a  creamv 
white,    which     I    like    better.       The    Moorish 


SPAIX  AND   TANGIER. 


171 


i 


palace  of  the  Alhambra  is  not  large,  neither 

is  it  in   ruins,   but  rather   over-preserved   and 

restored  for  the  poet  and  painter's  taste.     The 

traveller  can   no  longer  wander  over  its  poetic 

scenery  at  his  own  sweet  will  by  day  and  night, 

neither  can  he  wrap  himself  in  his  cloak  and 

sleep  in  its  trellised  chambers  as  of  yore  ;  he  is 

followed  durin or- his  visit  by  a  custodian  whom 

he  is  expected  to  fee  in  the  most  unromantic 

manner,  just  as  if  he  w^ere  visiting    our   own 

cleaned  and  repaired  ruins — the  only  difference 

being  that  the  fee  once  paid,  his  future  visits 

may  be  made  gratis. 

We  visited  the  Torre  de  las  Infantas, 
once  the  residence  of  the  Moorish  princesses  : 
and  the  Torre  de  la  Cautiva  (Tower  of  the 
Captive),  the  abode  of  the  beauiiful  Chris- 
tian irirl  who  became  the  favourite  sultana 
of  Abu  Hasen  and  famous  in  song  and  story 
under  the  name  of  *'Zoraya"  ("the  Morning 
Star").  The  interiors  of  both  these  towers, 
nearly  equal  in  workmanship  to  the  rooms  in 


1-2  A  scampi:r  through 

the  Alhambra,  are  built  round  a  central  /^///'% 
on  which  the  little  apartments  open  with  ail 
kinds  of  quaint  windows.  They  must  have  been 
ideal  residences  ;  l)oth  command  extensive 
views  of  the  valley,  of  the  i^^old-bearini^-  river 
Darro  which  flows  beneath  them,  of  meadows 
and  forests,  of  mountain  slopes  covered  with 
cornfields,  vineyards,  olive,  orange,  citron,  and 
mulberry'  trees  in  rich  al)undance. 

We  asked  and  easily  obtained  permission 
from  the  courteous  director  to  |)aint  and 
make  studies  in  the  interior  of  the  Alhambra  ; 
thus  we  became  closely  ac(|uainted  with  this 
wonderful  relic  of  a  romantic  past.  The 
towers,  battlemented  and  turreted,  are  ex- 
teriorly of  a  beautiful  orange  pink,  with  par- 
donable exaQ-^eration  called  iHirnujiis.  or  red. 
The  walls  slope  down  to  the  river,  and  blend 
with  the  rock  on  which  the  building  is  tounded. 

Words  fail  me  to  convey  an  idea  of  the 
delicacv  of  the  ornamentation  with  which 
whole  walls  are  covered  :   the  beautiful   Arabic 


SPAIX  AXD    lAXGIER. 


,  3 


I 


.i 


i 


I 


\  ^. 


character  on  them  is  in  itself  an  ornament. 
Some  of  the  ceilings  and  arches,  covered  as 
it  were  with  stalactites  delicately  tinted,  re- 
mind one  of  an  ice  grotto  — a  grateful  idea 
on  a  Spanish  summer's  day.  The  celebrated 
Patio  de  los  Leones  is  not  quite  the  best  ot 
the  Alhambra,  but  it  has  the  greatest  repu- 
tation. 

Modern  Spaniards  use  this  court  as  a  place 
to  be    photographed   in.     We  saw  three  men 
dressed,  we  thought,  as  cooks,  but  afterwards 
discovered  were  meant  for  Moors,  with  three 
.dasses   and    a   botde   of  wine   on  a  table   in 
front  of  them,  photographed  at  the  fountain. 
Could  the  subject  of  countless  poems,  of  such 
romantic   reminiscences,  suffer  greater  degra- 
dation :^     Into  the  magnificent  alabaster  basin 
the  heads  of  the  murdered  Abencerrages  were 
tlirown  ;  the  stains  of  blood  may  still  be  seen 
bv  those  who  have  faith  enough.     The  animals 
which  support  it  are  not  much  like  lions,  but 
they  are   like  strength   and   eternity,  and  will 


■T^jiginfll'Yjf-^-*''™'-"'  '■"'' 


! 

Ii 


:\ 


17+ 


A   SCAMPER    THROUGH 


last  when  Moors  and  Spaniards,  and  the  halls 
of  the  Alhambra  itself,  perhaps,  will  be  no 
more.  The  celebrated  vase  is  placed  amon- 
other  relics  in  a  small  museum  here;  is  of  a 
most  delicate  blue  tint,  covered  with  ex(|uisite 
workmanship,  and  stands   more  than  four  feet 

m     height.      As     one    considers    its    a^^e it 

dates  from  1320— one  is  struck  with  the  small 
advance  made  durin-  th(-  a-es  in  that  most 
ancient  art,  the  potter's.  W'hen  found  it  was 
full  of  g-old  pieces. 

Though  neither  quite  so  rich  in  colour  as 
the  Alcazar  in  Seville,  nor  so  elaborate  and 
lavish  in  decorative  efhTt  as  the  marvellous 
\'illaviciosa  Chape!  in  the  nio>(|ue  at  Corduba, 
}-et  the  Alhambra  is  purer  in  design  and  the 
ou.jjihlc  finer  than  either.  The  hall  called  -  de 
la>  Dos  I-Iermanas."  na-  no  better  reason  than 
that  two  hu-e  slah^  <.["  marble  in  th<'  pavement. 
aro  exactly  aiik^',  is  remarkable  {^jy  the  ele-ant 


■  A. 


stalactitt'   work  nt    tiie   media  nar^uni.ov  dome. 
and  of  the  doorways.     The  whM;,.  place,  wiij] 


I 


jj^ 


f^ 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIIlR. 


ns 


Its  delicate  ornament,  small  balconies,  slender 
pillars,  and  tow^ers  scarred  and  seamed  by 
many  an  earthquake,  give  an  idea  of  great 
fragility.  I  feel  I  have  given  a  poor  and 
inadequate  idea  of  this  renowned  palace.  I 
can  only  plead  in  favour  of  my  description 
that  it  is  true,  was  done  ''on  the  spot," 
and  that  I  have  avoided  measurements  and 
statistics  wherever  I  could. 

On  coming  out  of  the  Alhambra  one  day, 
a  picturesque  vagabond,  representing  himself 
as  chief  or  prince  of  all  the  gipsies,  offered  to 
sell  his  photograph  or  pose  as  a  model.  When 
we  rejected  these  advantages,  he  begged  for 
five  aiitiijios  with  a  trulv  roval  air. 

At  a  little  distance,  in  a  private  garden, 
stands  an  ex(|uisite  little  mosque,  perfectly 
preserved,  whence  there  is.  as  usual,  a  ma'nii- 
ficent  view.  In  the  garden  are  two  marble 
lions,  resemk^ling  exactly  those  of  the  fountain 
in  the  Patio  de  k^s  f.eones,  all  well  worth 
seeing. 


dl 

^^^R^ 


176 


A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


SPAIN  AXlJ    TANGIER. 


ni 


I 


The  Generaliffe  is   a   summer  palace,  built 
1.-,    the   Moors,  on    a  hill  a  little  higher,  and 

opposite  to,  that  on  which  the  Alhambia  ^nuvls  ; 

alv,ve!t!<    a   small   nnn   kimwii   as    the  '' Silla 
(Jul    M'^'ro,"    wlionc'-    iVa-    ill-fat' '1    iMuiiunl     ib 
su[)i)OSt(l    t«.)    ha\>:^    wataii^'d    ih^'   cliaiii^in;^;"   i^-^r- 
iLinr^  uf  hi:,  army.    Oi'  roonl^  and  -allerit-  tiiere 
are  nut   many   to   be   seen   in    th*'    ( ifncralnte ; 
thoM'    that  n-main    are   so    coated    ovr    wiin 
conturif'S    of  \v]iitt'\va>h    that    ail    th^'    dt-iicacy 
of  the   traC(T\' is  lost;    in    uomponsation,  irom 
ever\-    ]ooi)ho!<-    and     window,    and     e>p(H;icdly 
from    the    ;;iiraav,',    tho   vii'W>    arc     unrqualh-d. 
The    whole   of    til-    I'Avr^    and    waH>    ot    the 
Alhambra,  ..lyed  n-d  a-  it  were,  with  tlv   i^irn- 
in"-    ravs   of    t^-n     t'lousand    Spani->h     ^umm<-r 


with  their  wreaths  of  cterrial  snow 


V-*   i.  ^ 


Nilvr  imr 


ot      I   )a!T^  )      !  U'aW! 


\'  i '  n  <  J" 


suns,  the  tinv 
at  its  feet,  the  white  houses  ui  urariada 
scattered  anud  the  olive-clad  slopes  of  the 
valley:,  and  iiid^,  the  romantic  entrances  to 
the  gipsies'  caves,  and  in  the  distance  the 
majestic  summits  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  crowned 


panorama  =4  which  it  is  dihuailt  to  realise  the 
prof^3und  bea.itv,  and  ininossible  to  convey  an 
idea  to  those  who  have  not  seen  it. 

d  her(.?  are  a  lew  such  scenes  in  the  world, 
where  the  charm  of  the  le^fends  and  histor\' 
ol  the  past,  blending  with  the  beauties  of 
nature  and  the  works  of  man,  render  the 
spectator  mute  with  admiration  and  dumb 
with  ecstasy.  The  Roman  Forum  is  one 
example,  and  Pompeii  another,  among  those 
I  have  seen. 

The  gardens  are  the  principal  attractions  of 
the  Generalirfe  ;  the  old  cypresses  were  planted, 
they  tell  us,  by  the  Moors,  and  the  par- 
terres at  the  time  of  our  visit  were  full  of 
roses,  chrysanthemums,  oleanders,  and  laurtds, 
blowing  Side  by  side  witli  the  kibt  luseiuus 
Iruits  of  the  vine.  Here  is  al^o  a  very 
patriarclial  c}-|*re^s  indeed,  under  which  the 
romantic  traveller  loves  to  imagine  the  en- 
chanun-    Zc»rava    kept  her   appointments  with 


f 


178 


A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


i 


I   f 


her  :  Aci.  and  at  last  met  her  death.     All  this 
historical  domain  is  the  property  of  the  Avila 

famev,  fruiii  whose  agent  an  order  is  required 

to  vi^itli;    however,  a   mIv.t  key  opened    the 
gates-^not  h^r  the  first  tune,   1  h -H-ve,  nor  vet 

the  last. 

Spanish  women  of  the  middle  classes  seem 
to  be    quite  useless   beings.     In  the   drapers' 
shops,  offices,  &c.,  none  but  men  are  seen.     In 
the  lower  classes  they  work  harder  than  the  men, 
which    is   not   saying    much,    as  most    of   the 
work  here  is  done  by  donkeys  and  mules;  in 
the  upper  classes  they  are  purely  ornamental 
creatures,  never  to  be  met  with  in  the  streets 
except  at  certain   fixed  hours  and   at  certain 
fixed   places;    indeed,   they  rarely  leave  their 
houses.     *'  Hombres  son  mujeres,  y  mujeres, 

nada.'' 

In  Granada  few  houses  have  patios,  a  sure 
sicrn  of  a  much  colder  climate,  and.  Indeed, 
it  is  already  wet  and  very  cold.  I  regret  this 
the  less   that  it   gives   me  an   opportunity  of 


n 


9- 


•■■1 


'^;m^' 


? 


A-  c*^.?/ 


i^ 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


'79 


:>i 


seeing  the  far-famed  drapery  of  the  Spanish 
cloak.     Every  gentleman  wears  his  cloak,  and 
every  peasant  his  blanket.     It  is  said  there  are 
at  least  seventeen  different  ways  of  wearing  a 
cloak,  and  foreigners  are  advised  to  abstain  from 
appearing  in  it  for  fear  of  putting  it  on  ridicu- 
lously.    But  notwithstanding  all  that  has  been 
written  and  said  about  it,  there  is  no  fashion  in 
the  casting  of  these  draperies  that  an  artist  who 
has  studied  the  subject  could  not  imitate,  given 
the  material.     People  talk  about  the  Spaniards 
wearing  their  cloaks  with  such  unapproachable 
elegance:    rather    it   is   the   cloak  that   lends 
distinction  to  the  Spaniard.     The  mules,  cows, 
and  horses  have  their  covering,  but,  though 
the  climate  necessitates  this,  there  are  no  means 
provided  for  making  a  fire  for  the  comfort  of 
Christians  in  any  Spanish  room. 

The  Cartuja,  which  all  the  guides  persecute 
you  to  see,  is  about  a  mile  and  a  half  distant, 
and  is  not  worth  the  journey.  I  have  always 
remarked  that  if  you  except  any  object  in  the 

N  2 


i8o 


A  SCAMPER  THROUGH 


usual  programme  for  seeing  a  place,  that  is  the 
very  one  your  friends  will  always  tell  you  you 
ought  to  have  seen,  even  if  you  omitted  all  the 
rest.    ''If  you  have  not  seen  the  Carttija,  you 
have  lost   the    best   thing    in    Granada!"  we 
knew  they  would  exclaim  ;  so  we  went.     There 
are  no  monks  there,  the  monastery  having  been 
suppressed  in  1835  J  the  internal  decorations  are 
in  the  vilest  taste,  except  the  inlaid  work  done 
by  the  frailes.     The  doors,  cabinets,  crosses, 
and  other  objects,  most  elaborately  inlaid  with 
tortoiseshell,  pearl,  ebony,   silver,   and   ivory, 
must   have   cost  years   of   patient   labour    to 
produce,  and  are  very  rich  in  effect. 

The  marbles  from  the  Sierra  Nevada  are 
remarkable,  but  had  better  be  seen  in  a 
museum  of  geology.  There  are  some  curious 
pictures  representing  monks  martyred  by  the 
Protestants  in  the  most  fearful  manner — cut 
open,  torn  asunder,  and  the  rest  of  the  favourite 
tortures  ;  but  however  interesting  they  may  be 
from  a  religious  point  of  view,  they  are  worth- 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


181 


less  as  works  of  art.  The  best  thing  there,  is 
the  view  from  the  terrace  in  front  of  the  church, 
which  embraces  a  tremendous  extent  of  moun- 
tain scenery.  One  of  the  first  hospitals  for 
lunatics  ever  founded  is  in  Granada,  and  is 
due  to  the  munificence  of  Ferdinand  and 
Isabella,  whose  effigies  may  still  be  seen  over 
the  entrance  gate. 

There  is  the  same  custom  here  as  at  Toledo 
and  Seville — watchmen,  armed  with  spears,  go 
round  all  the  streets  at   night,  and   call   out 
the  hours  and  the  weather  in  a  long  monotonous 
drawl.     Apropos  of  the  weather,  at  the  end  of 
October   the    rainy    season    set    in,    and    we 
could  not  get  many  sketches;   the  rain  came 
down   as  if  the  clouds  were  so  many  water- 
bags  suddenly  pricked.      It  is  a  saying   here 
that   Granada   is   only  fit  to  live  in  for  three 
months  of  the  year.     Consequently  the  vege- 
tation is  entirely  different  from  that  of  other 
parts  of  southern   Spain :   there  are  no  palms, 
aloes,  or  cactuses,  but  plenty  of  corn  and  pas- 


l82 


A  SCAMPER   THROUGH 


turage,  and  the  woods  round  the  Alhambra 
remind  one  of  nothing  so  much  as  of  a  well- 
wooded  glade  in  England. 

On  the  whole,  the  Alhambra,  beautiful  as 
it  is,  slightly  disappoints  the  idealist;  it  is 
too  well  swept,  and  too  carefully  restored  to 
be  extremely  picturesque,  and  the  exquisite 
patterns  on  the  walls,  which  are  its  chief  cha- 
racteristic, do  not  lend  themselves  happily  to 
pictorial  representations  ;  neither  is  the  height 
on  which  it  is  situated  so  precipitous  as  we 
are  led  to  believe.  But  the  world  contains 
only  one  Alhambra,  and  the  charm  of  its 
graceful  arcades,  and  slender  marble  columns, 
its  silver-voiced  fountains,  romantic  gardens, 
and  nightingale-haunted  groves,  shrouded  as 
they  are  in  the  halo  of  poetry,  legend,  and 
song,  will  continue  to  exercise  a  potent  en- 
chantment over  the  soul  of  the  visitor,  so  long 
as  they  continue  to  outlast  the  insidious  in- 
fluences of  time  and  tempest,  and  the  more 
destructive  shock  of  the  pitiless  earthquake. 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


183 


A  fire  occurred  in  the  Alhambra  a  year  ago, 
and   every   inhabitant  of  Granada  turned  out 
to  save  his  beloved  possession  from  ruin ;  even 
ladies  of  title  rushed  precipitously  from  their 
dinner-tables,  and,  in  evening  costume,  tried 
to  help  in  passing  buckets  of  water.    The  cause 
of  this  conflagration  was  never  officially  known  ; 
but  it  is  an  open  secret  that  it  was  the  work  of 
a  discharged  employe.     The  lovely  palace  of  the 
Moors  has  survived  many  dangers  from  war, 
fire  and  earthquake,  but  a  time  will  come  when, 
delicate  as  it  is,  unless  continually  cared  for 
and  restored,  it  will  crumble  to  the  dust :  even 
now  the  Sala  de  los  Embajadores  is  undergoing 
restoration  from  the  effects  of  this  fire,  and  the 
sides  of  the  Torres  Bermujas  are  seamed  and 
scarred    by   earthquake   shocks.      Unlike    the 
massive  grandeur  of  classic  ruins,   which  be- 
token eternal  stability,  it  is  fragile  and  small, 
and   the   spectator    foresees    with    sorrow   its 
approaching  dissolution. 
As  in  other  show  places  in  all  countries,  the 


1 84 


A  SCAMPER   THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND    TANGIER, 


1 8s 


inhabitants  try  to  extort  as  much  money  as 
they  can  from  visitors.  *' English  "  is  the 
synonym  for ''wealth  "  throughout  Spain,  and 
it  is  well  to  bargain  before  buying  anything, 
or  making  any  arrangement ;  we  have  thus 
sometimes  purchased  curiosities  for  less  than 
half  the  original  sum  asked. 

The  Alhambra  mourns  upon  her  tree-clad  height, 

The  widow  of  the  Moor  !  Her  traceried  walls, 

And  roofs  of  stalactite,  and  painted  halls. 
Her  marble  columns,  where  the  ceaseless  light 
Of  stainless  Spanish  skies  pours  warm  and  bright, 

Are  desolate  !  no  Moorish  footstep  falls  ! 

At  the  Cartiijay  too,  are  vacant  stalls 
Of  monks  long  dead  and  abbots  wrapped  in  night, 

And  ghostly  cloisters,  where  the  ever-green 
And  serried  ivy  clasps  the  falling  stone, — 

No  monk  is  left  in  the  deserted  scene. 
The  power  of  Moor  and  monk  from  Spain  is  gone. 

Past  with  the  past  as  they  had  never  been. 
Save  the  poor  record — ruined  walls— alone. 

M.  T. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

MALAGA. 

The  fare  from  Granada  to  Malaga  is  fourteen 
pesetas  sixty-five  centimos.      That  portion  of  the 
railway  route  which  is  traversed  after  leaving 
Bobadilla,  to  which  junction  we  were  obliged  to 
return— a  tract  called   the   hoyo—\^   wild  and 
desolate    in    the    extreme;    the    train    passes 
between  huge  granite  rocks  which  rise  preci- 
pitously out  of  profound  gorges ;  at  their  feet 
roar  streams  of  turbid  water  ;  above  them  bald- 
headed  eagles  soar  and  scream.  Salvator  Rosa 
would  have  liked  nothing  so  well  as  this  district 
in   a  storm.     At   Alora    the    scene   suddenly 
changes,  and  you  pursue  the  journey  through 
groves  of  oranges,  pomegranates,  myrtles,  aloes 
and  cactuses,  and  our  old  friend  the  Australian 


r 


i86 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


eucalyptus,  which  seems  to  thrive  wonderfully, 
growing  tall  and  stately  like  the  graceful 
Australian-born  girls. 

At  the  Malaga  station  the  usual  scrimmage 
took  place.  At  Granada  ihe  omnibus-driver 
fairly  refused  to  drive  us  to  the  casa  de  Iiiies- 
pedes  we  had  elected  to  go  to  ;  at  Malaga,  a 
man  snatched  our  luggage  ticket  out  of  our 
hands,  and  tried  his  best  to  force  us  into  the 
omnibus  of  the  hotel  to  which  he  was  attached. 

There  is  not  much  to  describe  in  Malaga,  or 
much  to  see  ;  its  great  attractions  are  the  tem- 
perate climate,  balmy  sea,  and  beautiful  fruit 
and  flowers.  It  is  one  of  the  most  characteris- 
tically Spanish  places  we  have  seen,  and,  speak- 
in  e  ^nore  Hibeniue,  reminded  us  forcibly  of 
Naples.  History  tells  us  it  w^as  originally  a 
Phoenician  settlement;  in  710  it  was  taken  by 
the  Moors,  and  became  their  impregnable, 
inaccessible  fortress,  where  the  Spaniards 
suffered  many  a  defeat.  All  this  the  huge 
ruin  of  the  Gibralfaro,  so  conspicuous  an  object 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


187 


in  the  landscape  here,  has  witnessed  ;  so  has 
the  Alcazaba,  which  I  hear  it  is  proposed  to 
pull  down  to  give  employment  to  the  starving 
w^orkmen  of  Malaga.     Beneath  the  ruins  is  the 
Protestant  cemetery,  a  place  so  lovely  that  it 
might  almost  make  one  "in  love  with  death." 
It   overlooks   the  sea,  and    is  shaded    by  the 
graceful  pepper-trees  which  mingle  their  foliage 
with  the  palm,  the  orange,  and  the  Australian 
gum. 

The  Malaguenos  are  passionate  and  revenge- 
ful, but  good-natured ;  the  women  are  remark- 
ably handsome,  but,  like  other  Spaniards,  short 
in  stature.  A  man  unbidden  perched  himself  on 
the    cab  which   brought  us    and  our  luggage 
from  the  station,  and  demanded  money  for  his 
trouble  on  our  arrival  at  the  casa  de  hucsp.dcs. 
We  refused  :  he  folded  his  arms  and  declined  to 
leave   the  apartment  if  we  did  not  satisfy  his 
demands ;    finally  he  threatened   to  throw  our 
boxes  into  the  street,  and,  to  save  our  belong- 
ings, we  had  to  give  him  money,  though  the 


i88 


A    SCAMPER  THROUGH 


people  of  the  house,  Spaniards  like  himself, 
confessed  the  whole  thing  was  unjust.  In 
England  one  could  have  called  a  policeman  ; 
here  the  policeman  is  completely  under  the 
tyranny  of  the  7iavaja,  or  long  knife. 

On  the  other  hand,  when  I  was  sketching  a 
street,  a  woman  in  the  lowest  part  of  the  town 
kindlv  allowed  me  to  sit  within  her  doorway, 
and  valiantly  defended  me  against  the  numerous 
intruders,  yet  absolutely  refused  to  accept  any 
money  in  return.     Gaiety,  which  is  not  habitual 
to  the  Spaniards,  is  the  rule  here  ;  the  people 
and  some  of  the  streets  are  most   picturesque. 
The  market,  which  is  held  in  the  dry  bed  of  the 
river,  reminds  one  of  that  held  in  the  Rastro  in 
Madrid — a  scene  imprinted  on   our  memories 
forever.     Vegetation  is  tropical,  and  the  vega 
on  which  the  town  is  built  is  as  luxuriant  as  the 
famed  Campagna  Felice  of  southern  Italy. 
,    The  cathedral   is    large    but    uninteresting, 
and  I  should  class  it  with  that  of  Granada  as 
bad  style ;  the  religious  ceremonies  are  numer- 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


189 


ous  and  imposing.  Taxes  in  Spain  are  hea\'y ; 
a  place  called  a  hotel  is  so  highly  rated  that, 
to  avoid  paying,  their  proprietors  call  them 
fondas^  or  posadas^  or  casus  de  huespedes^  which 
are  charged  less.  Even  in  the  house  in 
which  we  stayed,  though  called  by  the  last 
designation,  a  tax  had  to  be  paid  within  an 
hour  of  our  arrival. 

The  Malaguenos  have  the  reputation  of 
being  the  handsomest  women  in  Spain,  and  it 
is  not  undeserved. 

"  La  terra  molle  e  lieta,  e  dilettosa 
Simili  a  se  gli  abitator  produce." 

There  is  no  art  here ;  neither  painting  nor 
music  flourishes,  and  but  few  public  amuse- 
ments ;  two  theatres  and  a  plaza  de  toros 
complete  the  list.  The  only  study  is  the 
people,  and  they  are  both  picturesque  and 
interesting;  so  primitive  that  they  never 
restrain  their  curiosity,  and  ask  every  question 
that  comes  into  their  heads  as  to  whence  you 
came,   where    you  are   going,    what   you    are 


190 


A    SCAMPER   THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


191 


doing  in  Spain,  and  so  on.  The  fish  for  which 
this  part  of  the  Mediterranean  is  famous,  called 
bocquerones,  resemble  sardines;  the  natives 
fry  them,  and  eat  them  with  their  fingers ;  sweet 
potatoes  are  also  very  fine  here. 

Newspapers  in  Spain  are  very  badly  printed, 
contain  little  information,  and  news  from  Eng- 
land is  conspicuously  absent. 

The  people  have  a  bad  habit,  which  is  prob- 
ably due  to  the  great  heat  in  summer,  of 
turning  day  into  night;  the  principal  shops 
are  closed  from  midday  to  five  o'clock,  when 
they  reopen,  and  the  population,  waking  up, 
pours  into  the  streets,  to  remain  there  till  twelve 
and  even  two  o'clock  in  the  morning.  They 
are  great  talkers ;  they  will  sit  and  converse  for 
hours,  apparently  with  the  very  greatest  interest, 
on  the  most  trivial  subjects.  All  the  good  that 
is  in  them  they  owe  to  nature  and  not  to  edu- 
cation, and,  not  being  educated,  their  passions 
are  utterly  uncontrolled ;  the  quarrels  one  sees 
in  the  streets  are  sometimes  fearful. 


< 


Quite  the  most  picturesque  figures  in  Malaga 
are  the  men  who  sell  fish  in  the  streets,  which 
they  carry  in  flat  baskets  suspended  by  long 
strings    from  their  elbows,  their   hands  being 


Malaga  Fishennan. 

Stuck  in  their  sides.  All  the  men  have  free 
movements,  and  a  strong  graceful  walk,  which 
may  be  attributed  to  their  light  loose  clothing, 
and  the  soft  canvas  shoes  and  sandals  which 


192 


A  SCAMPER  THROUGH 


they  wear.     When  they  are  old  they  look  like 
old    boys:    time,    which    ploughs    numberless 
wrinkles  in  their  faces,  spares  their  figures.  The 
women  too  walk  freely   and    gracefully  when 
they  are  not,  as  is  too  usual,  enveloped  in  the 
larcre  hard  corset,  and  do   not  wear  the  tight 
hic^h-heeled  shoes  to  which  they  are  so  much 
attached.       The    usual  headdress   is  a  black 
mantilla   for  the  upper    classes,  and   a   gay- 
coloured  handkerchief,  or  merely  a  few  flowers, 
for  the  lower;  the  latter  invariably  wear  shawls. 
The  watchmen  announce  their  presence  In 
the  streets  by  a  high  shrill  whistle  repeated  at 
short  intervals ;  if  anyone  desires  their  services 
at  night  to  fetch  a  doctor  or  do  anything  else, 
they   are   always   on   the  spot,  armed  with   a 
spear  and  a  revolver ;  and  if  you  do  not  intend 
returning  home  till  late,  it  is  the  rule  to  give 
them    the  key    of  your  apartment ;   they   will 
then  supply  you  with  a  little  piece  of  candle  to 
light  you  up  the  stairs,  and  unlock  the  door  for 
you  when  you  return. 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


193 


But  I  am  reminded  here  of  Count  Smorltork 
• — I  am  writing  this  from  hearsay.  Oh,  immortal 
race  of  Pickwick,  who  seem  to  me  really  to 
have  lived  your  gay  lives  and  have  passed 
away,  you  are  neither  more  shadowy  nor  unreal 
than  the  dead  friends  of  our  youth,  but  more 
intimately  known  and  loved  than  many  we  have 
met  in  our  passage  through  life  ! 

On  All  Saints'  Day,  High  Mass  in  the  cathedral 
was  an  imposing  function,  and  the  music  very 
good,  but  I  have  never  seen  even  a  mode- 
rately large  congregation  in  Spain.  The  red  silk 
train  of  the  Bishop  of  Malaga,  who  officiated, 
was  not  less  than  twelve  feet  long,  and,  of 
course,  he  had  an  attendant  to  carry  it.  One 
evening  we  went  to  the  Teatro  Cervantes, 
which  was  crowded  to  overflowing,  so  we  left 
without  seeing  all  the  play ;  but  the  behaviour 
of  the  excited  crowd  was  a  thing  to  remember — 
shouting,  standing,  and  cheering ;  very  few  of 
the  actors'  words  could  reach  anyone's  ears 
People  continually  go  in  and  out,  as   tickets 

o 


J  94 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


can  be   taken  for  one,  two,  or  three  acts,   as 
you  like. 

As  another  specimen  of  Spanish  fare,  I  will 
give  the  menu  of  the  evening's  dinner  pre- 
pared in  honour  of  the  fete  of  All  Saints. 
First,  a  mixture  of  rice,  meat,  fish,  and  those 
bitter  pi7nientos,  or  capsicums,  well  stirred  up 
with  rancid  oil,  was  handed  round  in  its  native 
saucepan  ;  then  followed  the  cocido,  a  mixture 
of  garbanzos,  potatoes,  cabbage,  and  boiled 
meat,  stirred  up  also  with  oil ;  next,  meat 
which  had  served  for  the  previous  day's  soup, 
baked  without  any  gravy ;  then  cold  boiled 
fish  in  vinegar,  covered  with  raw  chopped 
onions ;  and  to  finish,  boiled  and  roast  chest- 
nuts and  grapes.  This  is  almost  an  average 
Spanish  dinner;  the  fete  was  specially  honoured 
only  in  the  first  dish,  which  supplanted  the 
usual  soup.  The  almiurzo  or  breakfast,  the 
only  other  meal,  taken  about  one  o'clock,  con- 
sists invariably  of  a  tortilla  or  omelet,  and 
fried   came  de    vacca    (cow   beef).      The  only 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


195 


sketches  worth  anything  are  those  done  direct 
from  nature ;  my  sketch  of  an  Andalusian 
dinner  has  at  least  the  merit  of  being  a  sketch 
direct  from  life,  done  on  the  spot. 

El  Palo  is  a  village  on  the  seashore,  two 
miles  from  Malaga,  and  we  drove  there  in  a 
native  vehicle  called  a  tantara,  or  diavola. 
The  scenery  is  fine  ;  in  the  distance  is  a  view  of 
Malaga  nestling  in  its  embracing  valley,  backed 
by  deep  blue  hills ;  in  front  lies  the  rugged 
sierra  on  which  still  tower  the  gigantic  frag- 
ments of  the  old  Moorish  walls ;  the  beautiful 
sweep  of  the  bay  recalled  Naples  very  forcibly 
to  our  minds. 

Very  foreign  to  English  eyes  is  the  vegeta- 
tion at  El  Palo,  and  very  primitive  are  the 
people,  but  also  good-natured  and  kind-hearted. 
It  is  in  this  direction  that  Malaga  is  spreading, 
and  when  physicians  have  finally  made  up  their 
minds  to  save  or  prolong  the  lives  of  a  few 
consumptive  patients  by  recommending  them 
to  try  this  adorable  climate,  here  will  be  found 

o  2 


196 


A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


the  comfortable  villas  most  suited  to  their  re- 
quirements. 

We  had  an  opportunity  of  going  over  the 
stores  of  one  of  the  greatest  wine  exporters 
here,  and  tasted  the  best  wines  produced  in 
a  country  for  which  it  is  renowned.  I  do  not 
rely  on  my  own  opinion  which  is  worth  nothing, 
but  I  give  the  dying  Moor's,  a  very  good 
judge  though,  as  far  as  the  commandment  of 
the  Prophet  went,  a  teetotaller — *'  O  Lord,"  he 
prayed,  **ofall  thou  hast  in  Paradise  I  only 
ask  to  drink  this  Malaga  !  "  This  firm  exports 
quantities  of  vino  sacro  to  Ireland,  containing 
alcohol  certainly,  as  all  exported  wine  must, 
but  the  alcohol  also  is  made  of  wine,  and  so 
the  ecclesiastical  conscience  is  satisfied. 

Vegetables  and  fruit  abound  in  Malaga,  but 
the  grapes  and  peaches  are  not  to  be  compared 
in  flavour  and  size  to  those  of  Australia.  Deli- 
cious melons,  big  quinces  and  apples,  pome- 
granates which  melt  in  the  mouth  like  frozen 
nectar,  dates  fresh  from  the  palm,  pimientos  of 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


197 


blazing  red  or  richest  green,  huge  sweet  pota- 
toes, radishes  the  size  of  large  carrots,  &c., 
leave  little  to  be  desired  in  this  way. 

Fish  also  is  plentiful  and  cheap,  meat 
scarcely  to  be  had  and  then  of  very  inferior 
quality,  and  decent  butter  and  cow's  milk 
unobtainable.  We  have  had  no  butter  fit  to  eat 
since  coming  into  Spain— practically  there 
is  none;  for  milk,  goats  are  driven  into  the 
streets  every  morning,  and  milked  before  the 

door. 

The  visitor  should  not  omit  to  take  the  walk 
which  leads  to  the  Cahario,  a  small  chapel  on 
the  top  of  a  hill,  the  path  to  which  is  marked  by 
crosses.  Hence  is  the  best  view  of  the  town, 
the  ruins  of  the  Moorish  fortifications  surround- 
ing it,  and  the  mountains.  A  funeral  passed 
us  on  our  way,  which  may  be  recommended 
to  the  consideration  of  the  Funeral  Reform 
Society.  The  car  was  white  with  light-blue 
silk  curtains,  and  drawn  by  two  gray  ponies, 
the   driver  in    his   ordinary  dress ;    the    coffin 


i98 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


was  white,  and  on  it  lay  a  wreath  of  roses ; 
from  each  corner  came  pink  ribbons,  which 
were  held  by  the  mourners  in  their  usual 
habiliments,  wearing  hatbands,  and  consoling 
their  grief  with  cigarettes.  The  followers 
made  their  way  along  the  pavements  instead 
of  along  the  road. 

A  tremendous  storm  of  thunder,  lightning, 
and  rain  occurred  while  we  were  here — a  most 
exceptional  experience.  Damage  was  done 
to  several  houses,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
the  streets  became  torrents  of  muddy 
water. 

A  branch  of  the  Humane  Society,  or  stringent 
laws  for  the  suppression  of  cruelty  to  animals  are 
greatly  needed  throughout  the  whole  of  Spain. 
Like  their  prototypes  the  Moors,  Spaniards 
are  naturally  cruel,  and  there  is  nothing  to 
restrain  this  propensity.  Among  other  acts 
of  cruelty,  the  favourite  pastime  of  the  boys 
may  be  mentioned.  They  tie  a  string  round 
a  bird's  body,  and  the  string  to  a  stick  ;  the 


The  Alcazaba. 


200 


A  SCAMPER  THROUGH 


bird  which  is  wild,  flies  till  it  is  tired,  then  has 
to  come  back  to  the  stick  to  rest,  or  the  boy 
pulls  it  back  continually.  This  is  always  going- 
on,  and  the  birds  die  under  the  treatment; 
hundreds  of  them  are  to  be  sold  in  the  streets 
for  the  smallest  copper  coin  each — so  every 
boy  can  buy  them. 

On  Sundays  the  picturesqueness  of  the 
streets  is  increased  by  a  number  of  Moors 
arriving  from  Tangier  or  Ceuta,  and  walking 
about  with  a  dignified  step  that  has  nothing  of 
England  or  France  in  it.  Their  draperies  (I 
use  the  word  advisedly)  are  of  a  low  yellow- 
greyish  tone;  they  have  bare  legs  and  yellow 
slippers. 

In  taking  leave  of  Spain,  which  we  did  at 
Malaga,  one  who  has  lived  among  the  people, 
in  contradistinction  to  the  aristocracy  (like 
that  of  every  European  nation,  at  the  dead 
level  of  French  polish),  may  perhaps  be 
permitted  to  expiess  an  opinion  as  to  their 
character. 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


201 


The  people,  then,  are  ignorant,  passionate, 
and  partly  savage— above  all,  indomitably  idle, 
but  warm-hearted,  affectionate,  and  disinterested 
to  the  last  degree,  especially  the  women.  Many 
a  time  they  have  refused  money  from  us,  yet 
the  beeears  in  the  streets,  with  rude  impor- 
tunity,  will  pull  your  dress  and  lay  their  hands 
on  your  arms  to  implore  five  centimos  (rather 
less  than  a  halfpenny) ;  they  will  go  a  long 
distance  out  of  their  way  to  point  out  to  a 
stranger  the  place  he  is  seeking,  yet  the 
boys  will  hoot  and  even  throw  stones  at 
you. 

They  will  call  down  the  blessing  of  Heaven 
and  all  the  Saints  on  your  head  for  the 
smallest  gift,  yet  insist  on  doing  something 
you  do  not  want  done  and  enforce  payment 
for  it.  They  have  no  idea  of  business,  and 
time  is  to  them  an  unknown  quantity.  Most 
of  our  hotel  bills  were  rendered  verbally  only, 
and  invariably  correctly.  In  the  course  of  our 
journey  we  received  from  them  most  unexpected 


202 


J    SCAMPER   THROUGH 


kindness,  and  we  leave  them  with  regret.  The 
best  we  can  wish  them  is  that  the  all-civilis- 
ing steam-engine  may  soon  penetrate  to  the 
remotest  wilds  of  Spain,  bearing  with  it  culture 
and  prosperity. 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER, 


203 


CHAPTER   X. 


GIBRALTAR    AND    GALLERIES. 


**  Montis  insignia  Calpe." 

The  fine  steamship  of  the  French  Compagnie 
Generate  Transatlantique,  Villc  de  5n^5/,  brought 
us  to  Gibraltar  in  about  seven  hours,  for  the 
small  sum  of  fourteen  francs,  second  class. 
The  vessels  on  this  line  are  good,  the  accom- 
modation excellent,  and  as  there  are  also 
third  and  fourth  classes,  the  second  is  quite 
good  enough  for  ordinary  travellers.  They 
advertise  the  boat  to  depart  at  eight  o'clock  in 
the  evening,  advise  you  to  be  on  board  at 
seven,  and  do  not  leave  till  nearly  midnight ; 
however,  we  arrived  in  Gibraltar  just  after 
sunrise. 

Landing   was  a  troublesome  affair,  and  we 


204 


A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


20$ 


found    lodgino-s    dear ;    but    were    agreeably 
surprised  at  the  beauty  of  the  situation  of  the 
town  and  variety  of  character  and  costume  in 
the  streets.    Every  country  is  represented  there, 
and  the  Arab  has  sent  his  full  contingent,  which 
gives  a  very  foreign   appearance  to  the  place. 
Stalking  gravely  and  grandly  beside  the  viva- 
cious Spaniard,  or ''Rock  scorpion,"  and  the 
terribly  trim  British  soldier,  his  presence  greatly 
helps  you  to  keep  up  the  idea    that  vou  are 
still  abroad. 

Lured  by  the  lovely  tints  of  the  old  Moorish 
castle  on  the  height,  we  at  once  made  for  it 
with  our  paint-boxes  in  our  hands,  but  our 
hopes  of  a  sketch  were  rudely  dashed  to  pieces 
by  an  observant  sergeant,  who  informed  us  we 
were  not  permitted  to  paint  even  the  distant 
mountains  or  sky  here,  much  less  the  castle. 
*'Do  you  see  that  man  up  there?"  said  he, 
pointing  to  a  red  blotch  somewhere  on  the 
summit  of  the  rock.  "Well,  he  spots  you 
already!"    So  we   walked  away,  conscious  of 


•J 


1*1 


being  under  surveillance,  and  grievously  dis- 
appointed. 

However,  the  view  from  the  rock  somewhat 
consoled  us  for  the  loss  of  a  sketch.  The 
distant  Spanish  hills  on  one  side,  and  the 
far-off  Ape's  Hill  and  mountains  of  Africa  on 
the  other,  bound  the  horizon  ;  the  grand  old 
rock  itself  rises  majestically  into  the  air ;  below 
snugly  lies  the  little  town  and  splendid  bay 
covered  with  the  shipping  of  every  nation  ; 
Algeciras,  where  the  new  railway — which,  when 
the  ignorant  Spanish  opposition  is  overcome, 
will  do  so  much  to  connect  the  Interior  of  the 
Peninsula  with  the  seaboard — commences,  and 
San  Roque  are  easily  distinguished;  beyond 
is  the  blue  line  of  the  Sierra  Nevada. 

We  went  through  the  galleries  tunnelled 
in  the  rock  for  which  Gibraltar  is  cele- 
brated ;  they  reminded  me  of  the  borings 
certain  insects  make  through  their  favourite 
cheese.  The  monkeys  are  not  a  myth— there 
are  about   forty  of   them;    they  change  their 


206 


A    SCAMPER    THROUGH 


place  of  residence  as  the  wind  changes,  live 
on  the  wild  fruits  which  grow  on  the  fertile 
rock,  and  are  mischievous  enough  in  throwino- 
stones  at  the  soldiers.  The  sergeant  who 
accompanied  us  very  gravely  related  that  the 
chief  of  the  monkeys  had  lately  been  found 
dead,  and  that  the  others  were  looking  about 
for  a  new  king — an  electoral  monarchy  evi- 
dently ! 

The  perpendicular  rock  is  sublime  at  its 
northern  aspect ;  below  it  lie  the  Jewish 
cemetery  with  the  men  and  women  buried  on 
separate  sides  under  flat  stones,  the  Christian 
cemeter}%  and  near  it  other  Christian  neces- 
saries— the  racecourse,  exercise-grounds,  and 
dog-kennels.  But  Gibraltar  is  so  well  known 
that  it  seems  absurd  to  describe  it  again.  I  will 
only  add  that  the  Alameda  is  one  of  tlie  love- 
liest of  gardens,  the  vegetation  almost  tropical, 
and  that  it  contains  two  decent  monuments, 
one  to  Eliott,  the  other  to  Wellington. 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


207 


CHAPTER  XL 


(( 


OLLA       PODRIDA. 


)  > 


The  writer  lingers  lovingly  over  so  fascinating 
a  subject,  and  must  be  excused  if  she  turns 
again  to  wander  in  memory  a  little  while  longer 
in  the  sunny  paths  of  Spain.  In  other  words, 
this  chapter  will  consist  of  a  few  additional 
remarks  on  topics  already  touched  on. 

Mr.  Ford,  writing  some  forty  or  fifty  years 
ago,  remarked  that  *' Spain  was  almost  un- 
described  and  unvisited.  Though  a  land  of 
adventure,  of  romance,  full  of  historic  and  poetic 
and  legendary  association,  yet  it  is  withal  a 
kind  of  terra  incognita — a  mysterious  realm, 
untravelled  by  the  crowd,  and  where  the  all- 
wandering  foot  of  the  all-pervading  English- 
man but  seldom  rambles.  The  beefsteak 
and  the  tea-kettle    which   infallibly  mark  the 


208 


A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


progress  of  John  Bull,  and  have  been  intro- 
duced even  into  Greece  and  the  Holy  Land, 
are  as  yet  unknown  in  the  venias  and  posadas  of 
the  Peninsula." 

Though  less  true  at  this  time  than  when 
these  lines  were  penned,  yet  a  cloud  of  mystery 
still  surrounds  the  countr>^  of  which  the  French 
say,  *'  Africa  begins  at  the  Pyrenees."  To  this 
day  the  charm  of  being  less  known  and  less 
visited  than  many  a  town  in  America,  and  even 
Australia,  lingers  around  the  castellated  ruins 
and  sun-scorched  plains  of  Spain. 

The  charm,  too,  of  being  somewhat  risky, 
always  an  incitement  to  the  British  mind,  is 
not  wanting  among  the  attractions  of  this 
journey.  Theophile  Gautier,  in  his  witty 
book.  Voyage  en  Espagne,  says  : — '*  A  journey  in 
Spain  is  still  a  perilous  and  romantic  affair. 
You  must  risk  your  life,  and  possess  courage, 
patience  and  strength.  Privations  of  all 
kinds,  the  absence  of  the  most  indispensable 
articles,  are  the    most  trifling  inconveniences. 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


20Q 


Peril  encircles   you,   follows   you,  goes  before 
you,  is  all  around  you." 

And  this,  like  all  he  wrote,  remains  true  to 
the  present  hour ;  only  the  danger  he  refers  to 
is  that  of  encountering  brigands,  who  are  now 
few  and  far  between,  on  his  long  journeys  by 
road.     This  risk  is  to-day  amply  replaced  by 
the  perils  attending  travelling  on  the  Spanish 
railways.     It  may  perhaps  be  useful  to  explain 
that  our   plan  of  going   third  class   was   not 
entirely  dictated  by  considerations  of  economy 
— it  is  undoubtedly  the  safest  class,  because  in 
it  the  traveller  is  never  without  company.     All 
the  murders  I  heard  or  read  of  on  Spanish  rail- 
ways were  committed    in  first-class  carriages 
when  the  occupant  was  alone.     The  slow  pace 
at  which  the  train  travels,  and  the  long  low  step 
running  along  every  carriage,  afford  excellent 
opportunities  for  the  murderer  to  escape  into 
the  trackless  country  with  his   booty.       The 
second  class  offers  no  advantage  over  third,  the 
travellers  by  it  being  about  equal  in  social  grade 


210 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER, 


21  I 


to  those  in  the  third.  Kind,  indeed,  are  the 
simple  Spanish  peasants  we  thus  had  so  many 
occasions  of  becoming  acquainted  with— ever 
ready  to  salute  you  when  you  come  into  the 
train,  treat  you  as  friends  while  you  are 
there,  and  never  let  you  depart  without  the 
beautiful  benediction,  *'  Vaya  usted  con  Dios." 

That  ''the  Spanish  attach  hardly  any  impor- 
tance to  material  life,  a,nd  are  totally  indifferent 
about  comfort,"  is  a  statement  which  anyone 
who  knows  them  would  not  hesitate  to  confirm. 
If  in  this  ag-e  of  inordinate  luxury,  the 
Englishman  who  travels  in  Spain  would  bring 
back  with  him  a  few  ideas  of  economy  gathered 
there,--if  he  would  learn  to  temper  the  extra- 
vagance of  his  own  life  with  the  cheerful 
simplicity  of  the  Spaniard's,— the  cost  of  his 
journey  would  be  well  repaid. 

The  word  ''English"  is  unfortunately  a  by- 
word for  wealth  in  many  countries.  A  Frenchman 
exclaims  :  "  How  many  objects  do  our  insular 
neighbours  require  in  order  to  live  ;  how  much 


trouble  do  they  give  themselves  to  feel  at  their 
ease  !  and  how  much  do  I  prefer,  to  all  this 
complicated  array,  Spanish  abstemiousness  and 
privation  !  "  It  must  also  be  confessed  that  the 
Spaniards'  reputation  for  pride  is  greatly  exag- 
gerated ;  they  are  exceedingly  simple-minded 
and  good-natured.  "  Spain  is  the  true  country 
of  equality — if  not  in  words  at  least  in  deeds." 
The  reward  of  the  traveller,  however,  who 
will  face  the  privations  and  discomforts  I  have 
described,  is  rich  indeed.  Let  us  pause  to 
consider  awhile  the  lives  of  Velasquez  and 
Murillo — those  painter-princes  whose  works 
cannot  be  said  to  be  known  by  him  who  has 
not  traversed  the  sterile  plateau  on  which 
Madrid  is  situated,  and  the  arid  plains  which 
surround  the  walls  of  Seville — 

"  Los  quales  con  colores  mutizadas, 
Y  claras  luces  de  las  sombras  vanas, 
Mostraban  a  los  ojos  relevadas, 
Las  cosas  y  figuras  que  eran  lianas 
Tanto,  che  a  paracer  el  cuerpo  vano 
Pudiera  ser  tornado  con  la  mano." 

{Garcilaso  de  la  Vega.) 


I 


P    2 


212 


A    SCAJIP£J^   THROUGH 


With  the  lives  of  the  great  Italian  masters 
nearly  everyone  is  acquainted — thanks  partly 
to  Vasari's  popular  book  ;  those  of  the  Spanish 
masters  are  far  less  universally  known. 

Diego  Rodriguez  de  Silva  y  Velasquez*  was 
born  at  Seville  in  1599.  His  father  a  lawyer, 
gave  his  son  the  best  scholastic  education  his 
native  town  could  afford.  He  studied  his  art 
first  under  Herrera  the  Elder,  then  under 
Francisco  Pacheco,  but  appears  soon  to  have 
discovered  that  Nature  herself  is  the  artist's 
best  teacher,  and  industry  his  surest  guide  to 

*  **  The  idea  usually  afloat  about  him  is  that  he  was  a  man 
who  painted  a  few  stiff  gloomy  figures,  dressed  in  stiff  and 
gloomy  costumes,  in  a  stiff  and  gloomy  style.  But  here, 
(Madrid)  he  comes  before  us  as  a  perfect  artist,  facile 
princeps  in  nearly  every  walk — not  only  in  portrait-painting, 
but  in  character  and  animal  studies,  in  landscapes,  in  histo- 
rical subjects — trying  all,  and  doing  all  well." — LOMAS. 

Gautier-rwhich  is  remarkable  in  a  Frenchman,  nearly  all 
of  whom  are  born  critics— passes  lightly  over  the  works  of 
Velasquez  to  descant  at  greater  length  on  those  of  Goya,  the 
last  of  the  great  old  masters  of  Spain  ;  his  sketches  of  Spanish 
life  and  character  are  extremely  good. 

For  the  principal  details  of  the  lives  of  these  painters  I 
am  indebted  to  Sir  W.  Stirling-Maxwell's  A?nials  of  the 
A  r fists  of  SpaiJi. 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


213 


perfection.     To  acquire  that  facility  for  which 
he  was  afterwards  so  remarkable,  he  studied 

still  life  assiduously. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-three  he   married  the 
daughter   of   Pacheco,    and  in    1622    went   to 
Madrid   to  continue   his   studies.       There   he 
was  brought  under  the  notice  of  the  minister 
Oiivarez  by  Fonsaca,  who  caused  him  to  paint 
his  portrait,  which  when  finished,  was  carried 
to  the  palace  by  a  son  of  the  Count  of  Peua- 
randa,   Chamberlain  to   the    Cardinal-Infante. 
Within  an  hour  It  was  seen  and  admired  by 
the  King  and  Court,  and  the  fortune  of  Velas- 
quez was  made. 

He  was  appointed  palnter-In-ordlnary  to  the 
King,  and  In  1629  carried  out  his  long- 
cherished  project  of  visiting  Italy.  When  In 
Rome  he  obtained  permission  to  reside  In  the 
Villa  Medici,  whence  however  he  was  driven 
by  malarial  fever.  He  remained  on  this  occa- 
sion for  two  years  In  Italy,  and  afterwards 
revisited   It,  In  order  to   collect  works  of  art 


214 


A    SCAMPER   THROUGH 


for  Philip  IV.     He  died  in  1660,  in  the  sixty- 
first  year  of  his  age,  in  iMadrid. 

**  His  character,"  says  Sir  W.  Stirling- 
Maxwell,  **was  of  that  rare  and  happy  kind 
in  which  high  intellectual  power  is  combined 
v/ith  indomitable  strength  of  will  and  a  win- 
ning sweetness  of  temper,  and  which  seldom 
fails  to  raise  the  possessor  above  his  fellows, 
making  his  life  a 

**  laurelled  victory,  and  smooth  success 
Be  strewed  before  his  feet." 

{Atito7iy  and  Cleojbatra.) 

He  was  buried  in  the  Church  of  San  Juan, 
Madrid,  which  was  afterwards  destroyed  by 
the  French  under  Soult,  and  razed  to  the 
ground. 

Bartolome  Esteban  Murillo  was  born  at 
Seville  in  1617.  He  studied  painting  under 
Castillo,  and,  as  a  means  of  earning  his  bread, 
painted  rapid  sketches  in  the /77V/,  or  in  the 
streets,  which  he  sold  for  a  small  sum  to  the 
passers    by.       He,    like    Velasquez,    became 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER, 


2T5 


anxious  to  see  what  had  been  achieved  in  art 
in  the  great  capital,  Madrid  ;  to  raise  money 
for  this  purpose,  he  painted   a    series  of  the 
more  popular    saints,   landscapes,    and  fruit- 
pieces    on    canvas    prepared   by  himself,   and 
disposed  of  them  to  some  American  traders. 
There  he  waited    on  Velasquez    to  beg  for 
introductions  to  his  friends  in  Rome,  whither 
he   intended    to  go  ;  this    intention,  however, 
was  never  carried  out,  and  Murillo' s  works  are 
entirely  Spanish  and  of  the  soil,  uninfluenced 
by   study  of  the  antique.     The    great    artist 
received  him    kindly,    gave    him  lodgings    in 
his  own  house,  and  procured  for  him  admission 
to  the  palace,  Escorial,  and  all  the  royal  gal- 
leries.   On  his  return  to  Seville,  Murillo  painted 
some  pictures  for  the  Franciscan  monks,  and 
stepped  at  once  into  popular  favour. 

He  succeeded  in  founding  an  academy  of 
art,  of  which  he  was  the  first  president,  in  his 
native  town;  after  a  most  glorious  career, 
his  life  unfortunately  terminated  tragically  in 


2l6 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


1682.      He   commenced  to  paint  a  picture  of 
Saint  Catherine,  and  had  nearly  finished  the 
figures    of  the    Virgin,    the    Infant    Saviour, 
and  the  mystical  Bride.      (This  work,  to  which 
such   sad  interest  attaches,   is  in  the  Church 
of  Los  Capuchinos  at  Cadiz.)     Mounting  the 
scaffolding  to  proceed  with  the  upper  part,  he 
stumbled  so  violently  as   to  cause  a   severe 
internal  injury  from  which  he  died  the  evenino- 
of  the  same  day.     By  his  own  desire  he  was 
buried  in  the  Church  of  Santa  Cruz,  under  a 
famous    picture    of   the    "Descent    from   the 
Cross,"  which  he  had  always  greatly  admired. 
His  grave  was  covered  with  a  stone  slab,  on 
which  was  carved  his  name,   a  skeleton,  and 
these  two  words — 


"  Vive  moriturus." 


When  the  French,  under  Soult,  pillaged 
Seville,  they  razed  this  church  to  the  ground, 
as  they  had  previously  done  that  of  San 
Juan   at    Madrid,  which  covered  the  ashes  of 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


2>7 


Velasquez.      Its    site    is   now   occupied    by  a 
weed-covered  mound  of  rubbish. 

In  considering  the  lives  of  these  great  men, 
one  is  struck  at  once   with  the  vivid  resem- 
blance of  some  portions  of  their  careers,  and 
the    equally    strong    absence    of   likeness    in 
others.      Both    were   born    at   Seville    within 
eighteen  years  of  each  other,  both  wandered 
in    early    life  to   Madrid,  and   both   attained 
splendid  success.     This   resemblance   pursued 
them  even  after  death,  for   the   last    resting- 
place  of  each  was  destroyed  by  the  French, 
and  their  graves  are  now  either   unknown   or 
little  more  than  ruined  wastes.     Here  the  like- 
ness ceases. 

Velasquez  was  born  of  honourable  and  well- 
to-do  parents  ;  those  of  Murillo  were  obscure 
and  poor,  unable  to  bestow  on  their  son  the 
educational  advantages  lavished  on  the  former. 
Velasquez  journeyed  to  Madrid  followed  by  his 
servant ;  Murillo  took  the  same  path  on  foot, 
paying  for  his  humble  fare  with  the  hardly- 


228 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


earned  proceeds  of  his  hasty  toil.     Velasquez 
became  the  friend  and  intimate  of  kings,  while 
we  do  not  hear  that  Murillo  owed  anything  to 
royal   patronage.      Velasquez  too  studied    art 
in  Italy  and  from  the  antique;  Murillo  never 
had  these  advantages.      But  "  all  roads  lead 
to    Rome" — the    result    in    both    cases    was 
alike  :  both  rose  to  the  very  highest  eminence 
in  their  profession  it  has  ever  been  the  lot  of 
man  to  attain.     The  deduction  is  that  neither 
birth    nor     education,    wealth     nor    poverty, 
method  nor  w^ant  of  method,  can  destroy,  as 
they    are    powerless   to    bestow,    the    godlike 
gift  of  genius. 

Another  remark  also  occurs  to  the  student  of 
the  careers  of  these  artists.  Velasquez  lived  to 
the  age  of  sixty-one.  Forty  years  may  thus 
fairly  be  taken  as  the  period  of  production 
during  which  the  large  historical  works,  and 
numberless  unmatched  portraits  and  sketches 
which  bear  his  name,  must  have  come  from  his 
easel.       Murillo's    fecundity    was    still    more 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


2IQ 


remarkable  ;  dying  at  the  age  of  forty-three, 
twenty-three  years  only  served  him  to  produce 
the  chefs  d'ceuvrev^\th  which  whole  churches  and 
o-alleries  are  filled.    Is  it  not  therefore  evident 
that— far  from  labouring  for  three  years  on  a 
single  head,  as  Da  Vinci  is  said  to  have  done,  '^ 
or  spending  three  weeks  on  a  broom-handle,  as 
we  are  told  in  a  go-thou-and-do-likewise  kind  of 
manner  Gerard  Dow  did— these  works  must  have 
been   produced  au  premier  coup  with  perfect 
knowledo-e,  in  the  method   advocated  by  the 
modern  French  school  ?     Is  it  not  to  this  these 
masters'  pictures  owe  that  purity  of  colour  and 
freedom   of  handling    which    we   so    greatly 
admire  in  them  ? 

It  may  be  as  well  to  tell  the  intending  traveller 
in  Spain  that  there  are  few  or  no  curiosities  or 
souvenirs  de  voyage  to  be  picked  up  there  ;  even 
the  proverbial  Englishman,  who  is  supposed  to 
be  ready  to  give  thirty  thousand  francs  for  the 
first  sham  Murillo  he  is  offered,  would  seek  for 
it  in  vain.    Gautier  relates  that  he  endeavoured 


220 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


221 


to  buy  one  of  the  Toledan  blades,  which  for 
centuries  have  been  so  renowned,  but  could  not 
get  one,  and  adds:  ''There  are  no  more 
swords  at  Toledo  than  leather  at  Cordoba, 
lace  at  Mechlin,  oysters  at  Ostend,  or  pdtcs  de 
foie  gras  at  Strasburg.  All  curiosities  are  now 
confined  to  Paris"  (and  London), '' and  if  you 
chance  to  meet  a  few  abroad,  they  came  from 
these  cities." 

The  numerous  friends  and  admirers  of  the 
*' Knight  of  the  rueful  countenance"  will  be 
glad  to  know  his  reputation  is  still  as  great  in  La 
Mancha,  and  indeed  all  over  Spain,  as  though 
he  had  really  existed  ;  and  his  fame  ranks  with 
that  of  the  Gran  Capitan,  the  Cid,  Boabdil, 
Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  and  indeed  of  any 
other  famous  hero  renowned  in  the  romantic 
history  of  the  Iberian  Peninsula. 

We  found  Madrid  much  better  than  its 
reputation,  and  Seville,  which  contained  no 
viaravillas  except  the  cathedral  and  Alcazar, 
we  considered  overrated. 


It  is    the  fashion  to  quote  Gautler's  words 
about  the  English  -  mees"  so  far  as  to  where 
he  brings  his  sarcastic  sentence  to  the  trium- 
phant conclusion  that  she  is  the    -spectre  de 
la  civilisation,  mon  ennemie  mortelle."     It  is 
to  be  regretted  the  quotation  Is  not  continued 
further,  and  what  speaks  volumes  for  the  good 
influence  of  the  poor  satirised  lady  added,  viz. 
that  in  her  presence  the  flippant  Frenchman 
'*  felt  ashamed  of  the  extravagant  embroidery 
of  his  sky-blue  mantle,  and  for  the  first  time 
during  six  months  that  he  was  not  presentable 
and  did  not  look  like  a  gentleman." 

Like  us,  Gautler  also  took  sorrowful  leave  of 
sunny  Spain,  and  he  did  so  in  graceful  words, 
the  spirit  of  which  we  heartily  echo:  ''Must 
I  own  it?— on  setting  foot  on  the  soil  of  my 
country  I  felt  my  eyes  fill  with  tears,  not  of 
joy,  however,  but  of  regret.  The  vermilion 
towers,  the  silvery  tops  of  the  Sierra  Nevada, 
the  rose-bays  of  the  Generaliff'e,  the  long,  soft, 
limpid   looks,    the    little    feet,   and    the    little 


222 


SPA IX  AXI)   TAXG/ER. 


hands  of  the  daughters  of  Spain— all  came  back 
to  my  mind  so  vividly  that  it  appeared  to  me 
that  France,  where,  however,  I  was  about  to 
see  my  mother  again,  was  a  land  of  exile  for 


me. 


»» 


TANGIER. 


CHAPTER    Xir. 


TANGIER. 

For  fifteen  pesetas  you  can 
get  a  return  ticket  from 
Gibraltar    to    Tangier. 
Our  journey  was  rough 
and    long,    the    Gihel- 
Tarik  having  lost  one 
of  her  propellers,    and 
a  head  wind  blowing  a 
hurricane;    she   should 
have    reached   port   at 
three   o'clock,   but   in- 
stead, we  were  at   the 
mercy   of   the    terrible 
waves  till  six.  Thepraiique  master  took  his  own 
time  to  come  out  to  our  vessel,  but  at  last  we 

Q 


Moor. 


226 


A    SCAMPER    THROUGH 


were  allowed  to  get  into  a  boat,  which  already 
seemed  full  of  Moors  and  negroes  roaring  like 
wild  animals,  and  go  on  shore.  Perhaps  travel- 
lers who  are  acquainted  with  Tangier  may  be 
interested  to  know  that  its  reputation  as  the  worst 
landing-place  in  Europe  is  fully  maintained. 

We  landed  at  a  little  wooden  pier,  crowded 
like  the  boat  with  vociferating  Moors,  who, 
in  the  flickering  light  of  the  kerosene  lamps, 
looked  more  like  fiends  than  men.  The 
custom-house  officers,  who  sat  in  a  little  divan, 
have  the  look  of  philosophers  ;  after  a  calm 
and  cursory  inspection  of  our  baggage  they 
plunged  once  more  into  those  profound  medi- 
tations which  seemed  habitual  to  them,  and 
which  our  advent  had  disturbed.  As  there 
are  no  such  things  as  wheeled  vehicles  possible 
where  the  streets  are  rougher  than  the  lava 
beds  of  Vesuvius,  we  walked  to  our  hotel ; 
beginning  to  realise  how  abrupt  our  transition 
was  from  Europe  to  Africa,  from  civilisation 
to   barbarism,  when    we    saw  camels,   Arabs, 


I 


9^  c^^^^^^'--^^^^"^- 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


227 


and  tents    mingled    on    the  Soko  like  an   en- 
campment in  the  desert. 

The  town  of  Tangier  is  built  on  a  hill  ;  at 
a  distance  its  white  walls  and  battlements,  with 
the  Kasbah  crowning  the  summit,  have  an 
enchanting  effect.  Below  the  sea,  almost  always 
calm  and  of  the  deepest  blue,  washes  the  rich 
yellow  beach.  The  houses  are  low%  white,  and 
flat-roofed,  the  only  variety  being  in  the 
minarets  of  the  mosques,  which  are  made  of 
green  tiles  or  pink  brick.  The  streets,  except 
the  principal  one  which  leads  from  the  sea  to 
the  market-place,  are  so  narrow  as  to  resemble 
pathways ;  in  many  places  they  are  arched 
over.  The  shops,  open  on  the  street,  are 
about  six  feet  square;  the  shopkeepers  sit 
gravely  in  the  midst  of  their  twenty  francs' 
worth  of  merchandise  with  the  air  of  princes. 

The  variety  of  costume  is  surprising.  The 
Moors  wear  long  loose  upper  garments  of  every 
imaginable  colour  called  djelabcs  in  the  street, 
yellow  slippers,  and  have  the  legs  bare  ;    the 

g  2 


228 


A    SCAJFPER    THROUGir 


married  men   wear  white  turbans   round   their 

red  {^z  caps.     The  fez  is  forbidden   to  be  used 

by   the  Jews,    who    have    instead   little    black 

skull-caps  ;  they  wear  long  garments  confined 

at  the  waist  by  a  belt  or  sash.     The  Moorish 

women   are  scarcely  distinguishable   from  the 

men  by  the  unpractised  visitor,  except  that  the 

better  class  cover  their  faces  so  far  as  the  eyes 

with    haiks ;    if   they   have    not    a   haik    they 

draw    their    drapery    across    their    faces    the 

moment    they   find  they  are    observed.      The 

Jew^ish   women    wear    on    fete-days    very  rich 

costumes,     handed     down     from     mother     to 

daughter.     The  petticoat  is  made  of  one  piece 

of  silk  or  velvet   always  of  the  most  striking 

hue,  such    as    emerald  green,    scarlet,  bright 

blue,  or  purple,   crossed  in  front  to  show  the 

corner  richly  embroidered  w^ith  gold  ;  the  body 

is  a  mass  of  gold  embroidery,  and  the  women 

are  loaded  with  ornaments  of  all  kinds.     Those 

who    are  married  wear  a    brilliantly   coloured 

silk  handkerchief  entirely  concealing  the  hair. 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


229 


I  think  a  little  beauty  would  go  a  long  way 
in  Tangier  from  what  I  could  see  of  the 
women ;  however  carefully  they  conceal  their 
faces,  they  are  extremely  prodigal  In  the  dis- 
play of  legs  and  fat  feet  and  ankles.  It  is  rather 
sad  to  see  them  squatting  in  the  mud  in  rows, 
selling  bread,  eggs,  a  few  oranges,  or  coos-coos  ; 
it  seems  such  utter  degradation,  and  they  are 
so  unconscious  of  it.  They  are  insignificantly 
small;  however  the  men,  like  the  peacock, 
make  up  for  it  in  size  and  fine  appearance. 

The  Kasbah  is  a  conglomeration  of  low 
white  buildings,  intersected  by  narrow  lanes, 
and  consists  of  the  Sultan's  palace,  several 
prisons,  the  court  of  justice,  dwellings  for  the 
Basha's  numerous  retainers,  and  stables.  The 
Basha  distributes  justice,  or  injustice,  under 
a  Moorish  gate  with  arcades  ;  his  guards  are 
grouped  around  him,  and  he  himself  is  seated 
on  a  carpet.  Punishment  is  administered  on 
the  spot ;  this  I  always  avoided  looking  at, 
but  I  have  seen  the  bleeding  victims  removed 


230 


A    SCAMPER    THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


231 


to  the  prison.  The  Basha's  sleeping-room 
would  rival  that  of  an  anchorite  ;  a  few  hand- 
some carpets  and  cushions  contrasted  with  a 
Dutch  clock  and  a  kerosene  lamp,  are  all 
the  furniture;  there  is  a  fine  view  from  the 
window  overlooking  the  sea.  All  this  was 
shown  by  a  soldier,  who  spoke  a  litde  English, 
and  wore  a  cloak  of  a  blue  tint  so  tender  that 
any  2esthete  might  envy  it;  he  carried  no 
arms,  and  was  only  distinguishable  from  his 
brother  Moors  by  the  pointed  form  of  his  iez. 

Women  only,  as  every  one  knows,  are 
admitted  to  see  the  harem.  He  and  our 
guide  left  us  at  the  door,  and  we  were  con- 
signed to  a  black,  who  led  us  across  number- 
less intricate  passages  and  courtyards  to  a 
patio  surrounded  with  marble  columns,  on  to 
which  three  alcoves  opened.  The  Basha,  being 
an  exalted  personage,  has  the  right  to  eight 
wives  ;  four  however  are  his  present  com- 
plement. These  poor  women  were  seated 
cross-legged    on  carpets    and    cushions,   very 


I 


u 


gaily  dressed,  wearing  blue  turbans,  neck- 
laces, earrings  as  big  as  bracelets-in  fact,  all 
the  ornaments  there  was  room  for  on  their 
persons.  The  chief  beauty  had  her  eyes 
painted  dark  all  round,  and  her  eyebrows 
were  plastered  together  with  some  kind  of 
black  grease.  Her  face  was  a  combination  of 
white  and  red  paint  distributed  in  equal  pro- 
portions. Poor  creatures  ;  they  looked  happy, 
but  perfectly  vacant-minded,  and  laughed 
merrily  with  and  at  us. 

Their  beds  were  in  the  same  room,  arranged 
like  the  berths  in  a  ship.  Of  course  they  never 
go  out,  but,  as  our  guide  remarked,  they  have 
instead  "plenty  money,"  which  he  seemed 
to  think  more  than  adequate  compensation. 
They  appeared,  to  use  a  French  traveller's 
words,  "  des  enfants  legerement  hebetes." 

One  day,  meeting  the  soldier  carrying  a 
small  parcel,  we  asked  him,  "What  have 
you  there,  Mahomet  ?  "-every  second  Moor 
is    named    Mahomet.     "For    the    ladies    de 


232 


A  SCAMPER   THROUGH 


harem,"  he  replied,  unfolding  a  pair  of  the 
commonest  possible  cotton  stockings.  Is  not 
this  Eastern  as  opposed  to  Western  civilisa- 
tion with  a  vengeance  ? 

The  Soko  is  an  unpaved  square  surrounded 
with  booths,  outside  the  walls,  where  on 
Thursdays  and  Sundays,  as  in  Spain,  the 
market  is  held  ;  when  the  tribes  and  caravans 
come  into  the  town  to  dispose  of  their  merchan- 
dise it  is  a  most  animated  spectacle,  quite  the 
scene  of  Tangier.  So  many  as  fifty  camels  may 
be  seen  there  at  once,  grumbling  and  biting 
as  is  their  wont,  for  the  camel  holds  himself 
in  high  estimation,  and  resents  any  encroach- 
ment on  his  supposed  dignity.  There  is  a 
world  of  suppressed  suffering  in  his  heavily- 
fringed  eyes.  It  rained  most  furiously  at  times 
while  we  were  here,  and  the  Arab  tents — 
made  of  rags  and  banked  up  with  mud,  pitched 
on  ground  piled  high  with  the  accumulated 
refuse  of  the  markets  of  centuries — did  not 
seem  "  desirable  residences  "  ;  yet  the  inhabi- 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


233 


tants  never  once  dreamed  of  seeking  shelter 
elsewhere.  The  dirt  is  indescribable.  *' If  seven 
maids  with  seven  brooms  swept  it  for  half 
a  year,  I  don't  believe  that  they  could  get 'a 
corner  even  '  of  it  clear." 

It  fell  to  our  lot  while  here  to  witness  one  of 
the    most    extraordinary   sights    in    Morocco. 
The  Mohammedan  religion,  like  our  own,   is 
split  up  into  sects,  and  the  tenets  of  one  of 
these  called  the  Hawadji,  require  that  believers 
should  make  a  pilgrimage  to  Wazan,  the  tomb 
of  a  greatly  revered  saint  their  founder,  once 
every  year.     About  a  month  before  they  had 
left    Tangier    with   the   same   fanatical    cere- 
monies as  those   we   witnessed.     So  soon  as 
they  entered   the   town,   thirty  or    forty    men 
commenced  to  dance  in  a  ring  holding  each 
other  by  the  hand,   as    children    do   in    their 
old-fashioned  games.    They  danced,  jumping 
up  and   down  without    ceasing,   to   the  weird 
sound  of  pipes  made  of  cane,  and  the  curious 
Moorish  drums  v/hich  consist  of  a  cylinder  of 


234 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


baked  earth  covered  at  one  end  with   a  piece 
of  parchment  and  beaten  with  the  fingers,  the 
noise  from  which  resembles  nothing  so  much 
as  that   made  by  frogs   in  a  marsh.     Banners 
of  various  vivid  colours  were  borne  before  and 
behind  them  ;  they  continued  to  dance  to  the 
sound  of  the  monotonous  never-ceasing  music 
till   they  foamed  at  the  mouth,  and  appeared 
as   if  they  were  about  to  drop;    their    heads 
moved  up  and  down  automatically,  their  faces 
were  pallid  and  haggard,  while  their  eyeballs 
were    ready   to  start  from  their  sockets.     At 
length  their  frenzy  rose  to  an  uncontrollable 
pitch,  and  each  in   turn   broke  from  the  rine, 
seized  two  axes  which  one  of  them   was   bran- 
dishing  furiously,    and    continuing  to    dance, 
struck    his    shaven     head    heavily    with     the 
sharpened  edges  two  or  three  times,  till  the 
blood   streamed   over   his  face   blinding   him, 
and    poured    down    his    back.     Another   and 
then   another  snatched  the  axes,   which   were 
double-bladed,    and    followed    this     example. 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


235 


while    those   who 
had    already  per- 
formed    the    rite 
resumed         their 
places      in       the 
circle     and     con- 
tinued    jumping. 
I    saw    many    of 
them,  during  the 
four  or  five  hours 
this  lasted,   seize 
the    axes,    dance 
vigorously    for    a 
while,  brandishing         " '  "^^^ 
them  above  their 

heads,  then  let  the  sharp  edges  fall  on  their 
bare  skulls.  The  expression  of  their  eyes  was 
strangely  wild,  and  foam  ran  from  their  mouths ; 
yet  I  thought  I  detected  a  kind  of  smile  on  their 
faces  as  they  struck  themselves.  Even  boys 
joined  in  the  barbarous  ceremony;  a  performer 
persuaded  a  child  of  about  thirteen  years  of  age 


236 


A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


to  strike  his  head  with  the  g-ory  weapon   also. 
It    was    a    horrid    sight    not    unattended    by 
danger,  for  sometimes  these  fanatics  in  their 
madness,   rushed    in  amid    the    crowd  around 
and   seized  a  spectator;    the    marks  of   their 
red  hands  might  be  seen   on  several  persons' 
garments.      The    playing  on    the  instruments 
never  ceased  for  an  instant,  the  men  continued 
to    dance   wildly,   and    sometimes    the    spirit 
moved  others  to  join   the  circle,   till  between 
exhaustion  and  loss  of  blood   it  seemed  as  if 
they  must  fall  down  ;  however,  the  mad  orgie 
was  continued  till   they  reached  the  mosque, 
the  distance  of  a  mile. 

The  city  of  Wazan,  the  shrine  of  their  pil- 
grimage, cannot  be  visited  by  Europeans  ;  it 
is  the  seat  of  the  Shereef,  the  religious  chief 
of  Morocco,  and  a  hotbed  of  fanaticism.  A 
Mohammedan's  religion  teaches  him  it  is  a 
meritorious  action  to  kill  a  Christian  ;  so  it  is 
best  not  to  risk  exploring  Wazan. 

Ever}^thing  here  is  extraordinary  to  the  tra- 
veller from  the  A\^est;    all   is  entirely  Oriental, 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


237 


and  civilisation  is  ignored.  Yet  one  can  see  the 
Rock  of  Gibraltar  and  the  coast  of  Spain  :  there, 
the  latest  invention  in  machine-guns  for  the 
defence  of  life  and  property ;  here,  fanatics  split- 
ting their  own  heads  open  in  religious  frenzy. 

Another  sect,  called  the  Assowa,  hold  their 
festival  on  the  Soko  on  the  anniversary  of  the 
birthday  of  the  Prophet.  Their  religious  belief 
requires  that  live  sheep  should  be  thrown  among 
them,  which  they  tear  piece  from  piece  and 
devour  reeking  ;  in  this  devotional  practice 
women  join,  but  they  are  wisely  absent  from 
the  head-splitting  ceremony.  I  could  not  help 
wondering  how  they  all  felt  afterwards  when  the 
fever  of  frenzy  had  spent  itself  and  they  were 
''  clothed  and  in  their  right  minds."  There  are 
three  Sundays  in  the  week  in  Tangier— Friday 
is  the  Mohammedan,  Saturday  the  Jewish,  and 
Sunday  proper;  also  three  New  Year's  Days. 

The  government  of  Morocco  is  an  absolute 
monarchy  in  the  widest  acceptation  of  the  term. 
The  Sultan  can  dispose  as  he  pleases  of  the 
lives  and  possessions  of  his  subjects.     It  is  his 


238 


A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


motto  that  to  keep  the  people  quiet  they  must 
be  kept  poor,    for  when    rich  their    money  is 
always  employed  in  the  purchase  of  guns  and 
gunpowder.       Therefore    when    they    possess 
money  they  are  careful  to  hide  it  by  burying  it 
under  their  houses ;   even  before   a    Moor  who 
has   the  reputation  of  being  wealthy  is   quite 
dead,  a  search  for  gold  is  commenced  about  his 
premises,  sometimes  only  ending  with  the  demo- 
lition of  his  dwelling.      The  Jews,  who   form 
about  half  the  population,  are  of  course  parti- 
cularly suspected    of    hoarding  wealth;     they 
are  held   everywhere  in  great  subjection,  and 
reside   in  a  separate   quarter  in  all   the  towns 
in  Morocco  except  Tangier.     There  are  many 
Moorish  families  who  speak  Spanish,  and  are 
the  descendants  of   those  who  were  expelled 
from  Granada  ;   they  still  preserve  the  keys  of 
their  houses  there,  to  which  they  never  lose  the 
hope  of  returning.     The  complete  relapse  of 
the  Moors  to  barbarism  from  the  high  pitch  of 
culture  to  which  they  attained  in  Spain,  is  one  of 
the  most  curious  studies  in  history. 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


239 


Tangier  at  one  time  belonged   to  England, 
having  come  into  the  possession  of  the  Crown 
in   the  dowry   of  Catharine  of  Braganza,  who 
married  Charles  II.     It  was  given  up  in  1684 
and  the  mole  and  breakwater  destroyed  ;  the 
ruins  are  still  visible  at  low  water.     It  is  the 
chief  seaport  of  Morocco,    and    carries  on  a 
small  trade,  chiefly  in  cattle,  with  Gibraltar ; 
hence  it  is   the    emporium    to    which  the    hill 
tribes  bring  their  goods  for  disposal.      These 
tribes  inhabit  the  mountain  range  of  the  Atlas, 
and  we  have  but  little  information   respecting 
them  ;  in  Algiers  they  are  known  as  Kabyles, 
in    the    southern    valleys    below    the   city    of 
Morocco    as  Shellooks,    and     in   Morocco    as 
Berbers  and  Reefians.    Between  the  tribes  inter- 
minable feuds  exist,  which  it  is  the  policy  of  the 
Sultan  to  fan,  in  order  if  possible  to  secure  a 
slight  tribute.     They  are  a  very  robust,  active, 
temperate  race  ;  many  as  fair  as  the  inhabitants 
of  northern  Europe,  some  swarthy  as  the  natives 
of  the  hottest  parts  of  Spain,  and  others  nearly 
black.       The    most   dangerous    place    for   the 


240 


A    SCAMPER   THROUGH 


Christians  in  the  whole  of  northern  Africa  is, 
doubtless,  that  region  which  lies  at  the  foot  of 
Ape's  Hill  or  Mount  Abyla,  one  of  the  pillars 
of  Hercules.* 

De  Amicis,  no  mean  authority,  describes  the 
Reefians  as  the  most  savage  race  in  Morocco. 
**  Acknowledging  no  authority  but  that  of 
force,  they  are  audacious  pirates,  sanguinary 
bandits,  and  eternal  rebels.  They  inhabit  the 
mountains  between  Tetuan  and  the  Algerian 
frontier,  and  neither  the  cannons  of  the  Euro- 
pean vessels  nor  the  armies  of  the  Sultan 
have  succeeded  in  subduing  them ;  the  inhabi- 
tants, in  fact,  of  that  famous  Rif,  where  no 
stranger  may  put  his  foot  except  under  the 
safeguard    of    marabouts    and    sheiks,    about 

*  *"  The  ferocious  bigotry  of  Mohammedanism  and  the 
jealous  cruelty  of  an  ij^norant  despotism  have,  year  by  year 
and  day  by  day,  exerted  an  increasing  energy  in  demoralising 
and  barbarising  the  Moors.  Except  in  the  artificial  landmarks 
of  the  country  ;  the  greater  infusion  of  the  Arabic  element  into 
the  language  of  the  lowlands  ;  the  substitution  of  the  prayers  of 
El  Islam  for  the  rites  of  the  pagan  ;  the  adoption  of  firearms 
in  place  of  bows  and  slings  ;  and  the  use  of  saddles — the  old 
Numidians,  with  Bocchus,  and  Jugurtha,  and  Masinissa,  and 
Syphax  at  their  head,  would  now  see,  could  they  start  up  from 
theii  graves,  nothing  to  excite  surprise." —Dr.  Mavo. 


•^  i 


f 


1 


Jk-* '"*»»* 


i.       %U 


I  'fcr- 


•ISi 


1 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


241 


whom  so  many  terrifying  legends  are  current, 
and  of  whom  their  neighbours  speak  as  of  a 
distant  and  inaccessible  country." 

Reefians  are  often  seen  in  Tangier—tall, 
robust  men,  carrying  guns,  and  wearing  their 
scarlet  guncases  bound  round  their  heads  like 

turbans. 

It  is  singular  how  quickly  human  beings 
accommodate  themselves  to  their  surround- 
ings. A  few  weeks  ago  we  were  walking 
among  these  savage  people,  so  accustomed  to 
see  them  that  we  scarcely  remarked  their 
presence ;  now  another  impression  has  suc- 
ceeded this — that  of  commonplace  English  life 
— and  one  actually  pauses  to  consider  if  one 
IS  really  writing  the  truth  in  describing  what 
has  really  been  experienced.  The  great  con- 
trast between  European  and  African  life  is 
much  sharpened  by  the  short  time  it  takes  to 
pass  from  one  continent  to  the  other.  In  three 
hours  and  a  half  you  pass  from  civilised 
Gibraltar  to  wild  Tangier — from  stiff  Tommy 
Atkins  in  his  subterranean  galleries,  to  supple 

R 


242 


A  SCAMPER    THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


243 


Reefians  toying  with  their  long  guns  in  the 
brilliant  sunshine ;  from  ladies  and  gentle- 
men sauntering  on  their  thoroughbred  horses 
through  the  Alameda,  to  caravans  of  tired 
camels  coming  from  the  desert — in  a  word, 
from  the  Englishman's  chimney-pot  hat  to 
the  snowy  turban  of  the  Moor. 

Though  abstention  from  alcoholic  liquors 
IS  enjoined  in  the  Koran,  means  are  continually 
found  to  evade  the  law.  Every  year  a  larger 
quantity  of  wines  and  spirits  find  their  way 
into  Morocco.  The  Arabs  are  also  addicted 
to  another  forbidden  indulgence,  that  of  smok- 
ing kccf,  a  preparation  from  the  hemp  plant 
(ca7inabis  indicd)^  of  which  the  effects  are 
more  deleterious,  and  the  habit  of  taking  more 
ineradicable,  than  that  of  smoking  opium.  A 
young  Englishman  who,  for  an  experiment, 
drew  a  few  whiffs  of  it  from  a  pipe  on  retiring 
to  his  room  in  the  evening,  fell  on  the  floor  in 
the  effort  to  get  into  bed,  and  did  not  recover 
the  slightest  consciousness  till  two  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  so  powerful  arc  its  effects. 


WP 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

TANGIER  [continued). 

A  WALK  through  the  principal  street  of  the 
*•  city  preserved  by  the  Lord"  is  a  thing  to 
remember.  It  runs  from  the  Bab-el-Merzu, 
or  Custom-House  Gate,  to  the  Bab-el-Sok,  or 
Gate  of  the  Market-place,  a  distance  of  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile.  The  paving  is  execrable 
beyond  the  imagination  of  man  to  conceive. 
On  both  sides  are  little  shops  like  great  boxes, 
some  even  so  small  as  large  dog-kennels,  in 
which  squat  or  sit  the  placid  shopkeepers,  with 
their  goods  around  them.  The  principal 
mosque  is  about  half  way  up,  and  is  distin- 
guished by  a  fine  doorway  and  tall  green  min- 
aret; it  is  more  than  a  Christian's  life  is  worth 
to   attempt  to  enter  it.      In  Fez  neither  Jews 

R  2 


24  + 


SPA/X  AXD   TANGIER, 


nor  Christians  are  allowed  to  walk  past  the 
mosque.  Tangier  has  the  reputation  of  being 
the  most  tolerant  city  in  all  Morocco.  Up  and 
down  the  road  I  am  endeavouring-  to  describe 
moves  a  motley  crowd  of  Moors  and  blacks  in 
grand  classical  draperies,  looking  as  if  the 
marble  population  of  the  Vatican  had  walked 
out  for  an  airing ;  women  shrouded  in  white, 
and  sometimes  wearing  hats  more  than  a  yard 
across  ;  donkeys  and  mules,  laden  so  that  their 
burdens  stretch  across  the  road,  and  it  is 
difficult  to  avoid  coming  roughly  in  contact 
with  them,  notwithstanding  the  driver's  con- 
tinual cry  of,  '*  Balak  !  balak  !  "*  boys  dressed 
in  the  brightest  yellow  and  orange  dresses  ; 
watercarriers  with  bare  legs  and  boar-skins 
full  of  the  natural  element,  which  they  retail 
in  brass  cups,  calling  attention  to  themselves 
by  ringing  a  little  bell ;  bearers  of  burdens, 
two  abreast,  with  heavy  packages  slung  from 
a  pole  borne  on  the  shoulders;   Arabs   riding 


*  it 


Take  care." 


Tourer  in  Kashah, 


246 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


ladywise,  and  urg-ing  on  their  beasts  by 
perpetually  drumming  with  their  heels  on 
their  necks  and  sides; — all  this,  and  more, 
the  traveller  may  meet  every  day  if  he  will 
only  walk  through  the  principal  street  in 
Tangier. 

In  the  wild  and  hilly  region  around  the  city 
are  many  delightful  walks,  perfectly  safe  if  you 
do  not  go  too  far.  John  Bull  has  established 
his  indispensable  dog-kennels  here,  the  fox  is 
hunted  in  the  real  English,  and  pigs  are  stuck 
in  some  other,  fashion.  In  December  the 
hills  look  naked,  but  little  vegetation  is  to  be 
seen  ;  on  closer  inspection  however,  one  detects 
innumerable  bulbs  and  other  roots  just  burstino- 
into  leaf,  giving  promise  of  the  profusion  of 
flowers  which  cover  them  in  January.  At  the 
foot  of  these  brown  hills  run  in  winter  streams 
of  muddy  v/ater,  impassable  on  foot;  and  as 
you  get  further  out  from  town  you  come  across 
fertile  gardens,  orange-groves,  bananas,  palms, 
and  olives,  and    in    the    distance    glimpses  of 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER, 


247 


the  sea  and  the  noble  range  of  the  Atlas,  the 
backbone  of  Morocco. 

In  summer  the  scene  changes  and  becomes 
more  characteristic.     In  place  of  the  streams 
are    channels  of  loose    sand  ;  aloes,  cactuses, 
thistles,  and  plants  which  can  defy  the  drought, 
become  white  with  dust ;  the  small  patches  of 
stunted  grass  are  the  colour  of  hay ;  the  brown 
earth  seems   to   palpitate    beneath   the  fierce 
o-aze    of    the    sun,    like    a    coward    beneath 
the   look    of  courage;    and  over   all    is   that 
pitiless  cloudless   sky  which   those   who  have 
travelled  during  the  hot  months  in  Spain  know 

only  too  well. 

Buying  is  a  great  diversion  in  Tangier. 
When  it  became  known  from  our  purchasing 
various  trifles  in  the  shops,  that  we  were 
likely  to  fall  victims  to  the  craze  for  bargains, 
every  morning,  on  leaving  our  room,  a  Moor 
would  be  discovered  sitting  on  the  stairs 
where  he  had  probably  remained  since  early 
dawn,  with  a  stock  of  curiosities  ;   he  was  sup- 


248 


A    SCAMPER    THROUGH 


posed  to  have  come  in  from  Fez,  Soos,  Tetuan, 
or  some  other  such  place  for  the  day  only.     No 
sooner  did  we  put  one  foot  out  of  doors  than 
other  swarthy  sons  of  Ham  would  run  to  us 
with  choice  treasures,  supposed  to  have  been 
brought  from  some  mosque  or  palace  with  an 
unpronounceable     name,    and    follow    us    for 
hours  trying  to  persuade  us  to  buy  them.     In 
reality,  these  worthy  people  were  simply  agents 
of  the  shopkeepers,  who  tried  to  turn  an  honest 
penny  by  giving  them  a  huge  percentage  on 
all  they  sold.     Two  or  three  Moors  in  succes- 
sion   would  sometimes  offer  the  same    article 
for  sale. 

As  an  example,  a  Moorish  curio  would  be 
dangled  before  our  eyes,  and  offered  perhaps, 
for  four  dollars,  and  we  would  turn  indignantly 
from  the  outrageous  demand.  If  we  really 
wanted  it,  the  plan  would  be  to  offer  about  a 
third  the  sum  asked,  at  which  the  indignation 
of  the  possessor  would  be  equally  aroused. 
"  It  cost  him  three  dollars  and  a  half,"  he  would 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


^49 


asseverate.  After  an  hour  or  so  of  vocifera- 
tion and  the  intervention  of  everyone  within 
hearing,  speaking  either  Arabic,  Spanish, 
English,  or  a  happy  combination  of  the  three, 
a  medium  price  would  be  hit  upon,  say  nine 
fcsdas,  at  which  he  would  consent  to  part  with 
it  "to  you."  "I  sellsheap;  I  not  ask  him 
too  mush,"  he  would  say,  departing  with 
enough  money  in  his  bag  to  keep   him  for   a 

month. 

If  you  try  to  get  rid  of  a  Moor's  importunity 

by   telling   him  you   really  do    not  want  the 

article  he  wishes  to  sell,  he  pretends   not  to 

understand,  and  to  think  that  it  is  the  price 

you  object  to,  repeating,  "  Too  mush  !  "  "  Too 

mush  !  "  gradually  abating  a  peseta  or  two  till 

you  take  refuge  at  last  within  the  doors  of  your 

hotel.     A  friend  really  did  get  a  bargain  of  a 

splendid  silver  knife,  one  of  those  worn  under 

the  left  arm  and  made  to  catch  round  the  body. 

the    more  easily  to  draw  the  blade  from   the 

sheath  ;  but  she  became  thereby  most  certainly 


250 


A  SCAMPER   THROUGH 


the  receiver  of  stolen  goods,  and  the  man  who 
sold  it  to  her  afterwards  spent  a  kvi  days  in  the 
cool  retirement  of  the  Kasbah. 

The  Soko  was  once  part  of  the  Mohammedan 
cemetery ;  adjoining  it  is  the  present  burying- 
ground  which  looks  over  the  town,  the  market- 
place,   and     the     roads    which    lead     to    the 
interior  of   Morocco.     There  you    see  strings 
of  donkeys,  herds  of  cattle,  caravans  of  camels 
and  travellers  arriving  in   true  Eastern  style. 
The  graves  are  nameless,  surrounded  by  a  few 
whitewashed  stones,  and  a  small  piece  of  wood 
driven  in    the   earth    marks   the   head.       The 
cemetery    is   overgrown    with   aloes,   juniper, 
and  wild  figs.     In   the  midst   are    the   white- 
washed dome  and  red  flag  on  a  pole  which 
denote     the     burying-place    of    a    saint.       I 
sketched  this  tomb,  thanks  to  a  small  offering 
made  to  a  Moor  who  was  guarding  the  door ; 
an  artist  who  made  the  same  attempt  during 
Ramadan,  when  the  faithful  are  savage  with 
long   fasting,    was   driven   away   with    knives 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


25' 


which  would  only  too  surely  have  been  used 
had  he  persisted  in  his  attempt.  On  Fridays 
the  women  come  and  wander  among  the 
graves,  placing  flowers  and  branches  of  myrtle 
upon  them;  the  imagination  of  a  poet  is 
not  needed  to  fancy  these  white-robed  figures 


^^%  ~ 


-  ^*?- 


^  ■ '  -.  ?%<^v^;|^^'s^iy  tiff  ;^  ta  „  |-^pfe| 


%J^^- ^.^/^;-=A<''  r^'..:r>- 


■^-iV 


<^^'.-^-»- 


/^\,,^t,n.-, 


Sainfs  Tomb, 


are  the  restless  spirits  of  the  buried  Moham- 
medans, the  difficulty  is  to  realise  they  really 
are  not  something  weird  and  uncanny.  The 
view  from  this  height  is  most  charming— white 
houses  running  down  to  meet  the  sea,  here 
and  there  a  minaret  and  palm-tree,  the  useless 


252 


A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


253 


but  picturesque  walls,  in  the  distance  the 
Andjera,  or  mountainous  region  around, 
capped  by  the  soaring-  peak  of  one  of  the 
Atlas  Mountains,  and  Gibraltar  lying  like  a 
faint  blue  cloud  on  the  horizon. 

Ed.  de  Amicis,  who  accompanied  an  Italian 
mission  to  the  Sultan,  and  afterwards  wrote  a 
book  on   Morocco,  vividly  describes  the  weird 
impression  caused  by  a  walk  through  Tangier 
at  night.     He    remarks  that   there  is  no  licrht 
from    either   lamp    or   window,    nor    a    chink 
through  which  penetrates  the  slightest  gleam  ; 
the  town    seemed   to  him  uninhabited;  occa- 
sionally he  trod  on  a  mass  of  bones  and  feathers 
which  to  his  imagination  appeared  to  be  dead 
bodies.     A  few  Arabs  shrouded  in  their  hoods 
passed  him    like   spectres,  grazing  the  walls. 
He  heard  no  sound  but  that  of  his  own  foot- 
steps when  he  walked;  when  he  paused  he  heard 
only  his  own  breathing.     The  rays  of  the  moon 
on  the  wall  had   the  effect  of  electric   li^>-hf 
and    on    his  return   to   his    hotel    to  his   own 


I 


excited  feelings  he  seemed  like  a  man  trans- 
ported from  the  earth  to  another  planet. 

One  exceptionally  brilliant  moonlight  night 
we  visited  two  or  three  Moorish  caJ6s-chantanh. 
Our  hotel  being  a  little  way  distant   from  the 
town,  we  had  to  go  through  the  gate  closed, 
as  is  the  custom  in  every  city  in  Morocco,  at 
sunset ;  on  knocking,  the  sentinel  came  out  of 
a  little  recess  like  a  dog-kennel,  in  which  he 
was  calmly  reposing  and  smoking,  and  admitted 
us.     It  gave  me  the  impression  of  wandering 
in  a  city  of  the  dead,  and  the  few  Moors  glid- 
ing about  in  the  weird  white  light  seemed  like 
ghosts  of  the  inhabitants  revisiting  the  scenes 
of  their  former  life ;   while  those  who  slept  on 
the  doorsteps,  as  is  the  wont  of  some  of  them 
winter  and  summer,  might  have  passed  for  the 
corpses   of  men   who  had  died  in   defence  of 
their  hearths  and  homes. 

At  the  first  cafe  we  entered,  a  few  men  sitting 
cross-legged  on  a  divan  in  the  courtyard,  were 
playing  a  Spanish  guitar,  a  tambourine,  and  a 


2  54 


A  SCAMPER  THROUGH 


violin  held   upside  down.     The  overture  per- 
formed,   they    commenced    to  sing   what  was 
evidently  a  narrative,    to   a    tune   greatly   re- 
sembling  that    of  the  well-known    Christmas 
carol,  -  Good  King  Wenceslas."     Visitors  do 
not  pay  for  entrance  but  are  expected  to  order 
coffee  or  tea  ;  we  had  coffee  served  in  little  cups 
half  full  of   sediment    but  not   unpleasant    in 
flavour,   made  in  a  tiny  cooking-place  in  the 
corner  of  the  room.      Business  was  evidently 
rather  slack  here  as  the  evening  had  been  wet, 
so  we  soon  left. 

The  next  cafe  was  entered  by  means  of  a 
staircase  which  opened  on  the  street,  and  w^as 
of  a  very  superior  description,  prettily  deco- 
rated in  true  Oriental  fashion,  with  matting 
round  the  wall,  brackets,  vases,  and  plates. 
On  the  carpets  stretched  round  the  floor  were 
a  number  of  Arabs  drinking  coffee,  and  a  few 
smoking  kee/  and  drowsy  therefrom.  All  their 
shoes  were  left  at  the  door,  and  one  could  not 
but  marvel  how  each  man  would  recognise  his 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


255 


own  again   among  so  many.     A  few  kerosene 
lamps  illuminated  this  truly  Eastern  scene. 

The  musicians  sat  in  a  corner,  and  enacted 
what   seemed   to   our    unenlightened  English 
ears  a  repetition  of  the  performance  we  had 
previously  heard ;  one   could   only  detect  the 
slightest  possible  diff'erence  in  the  monotonous 
airs,  delivered,  however,  with  great  animation 
and  con  intenzione.     The  whirring  noise  of  the 
accompaniment  performed  on  a  two-stringed 
guitar,    a    fiddle,    and    two    drums,    became 
irritating  at  last ;  five  or  six  performers  sang 
occasionally,   emphasizing  the   expression   by 
clapping    their    hands,    but    when    each    one 
began    or    ceased    to   sing    his   part   seemed 
according  to  his  own  good  will  and  pleasure. 
There  was  no  variety  in  the  performance  so 
long  as  we  stayed,  and  we  were  informed  it 
usually  went  on  exactly  the  same  till  two  or 
three  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

Here    we    tasted  Moorish    tea;    a  glass  is 
filled  half  full  of  sugar,  a  strong  infusion  of 


256 


A    SCAMPER  THROUGH 


green  tea  poured  on  it,  and  a  leaf  or  two  of 
mint  put  in;  it  might  taste  worse,  and  the 
Moors  are  intensely  fond  of  drinking  this 
beverage.  The  behaviour  of  the  people  at 
these  cafes  was  perfect. 

When  we  reached    the  Soko  gate  on    our 
return,  we   aroused  the  sleepy   sentinel,   who, 
on  opening   it  for  us,   discovered  two   Moors 
waiting  outside  for  admittance,  at  which,  for 
some  reason  best  known  to  himself,  he  broke 
into   a  towering  passion.      He    threw   up    his 
arms  and  shouted  vigorously ;  two  Moors  (the 
guard)    ran    quickly   to    his    help,   while    the 
others  as  quickly  ran  away.     The  guard,  after 
a  plucky  chase,  captured  the   offenders,    and 
brought    them    back    to  the  dignitary  at  the 
gate ;  backed  by  the  authority  of  the  soldiers, 
he  began  to  demand  money  of  them,  threaten- 
ing in  case  of  refusal  to  send  them  to  prison. 
A  few  dollars  obtained  their  release,  and  they 
went  meekly  away  from  the  gate  of  Tano-ier 
sadder   and    perhaps   wiser   men  ;    they  were 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


257 


-■^ 


probably  thieves  whose  appearance  the  sentinel 
was  acquainted  with. 

This  is  a  fair  example  of  Moorish  justice— 
a  thing  which  is  bought  and  sold  and  has  its 
price  like  any  other  marketable  commodity. 
Another  specimen  is  the  case  of  a  neighbouring 
kaid,  or  chief— one  of  the  leading  incidents  in 
the  late  rebellion,  which  has  been  so  happily 
quieted  down  for  a  time.  This  kaid— a  great 
favourite  with  the  people,  but  no  better  a  ruler 
than  the  late  unpopular  Basha  in  reality- 
made  himself  objectionable  in  some  way  to  the 
Government,  and  fled  for  refuge  among  the 
hills.  It  being  found  impossible  to  capture 
him  by  fair  means,  he  was  invited  to  breakfast 
with  a  member  of  the  Government,  under 
promise  of  being  pardoned  and  given  the 
governorship  of  a  province.  It  is  curious 
that  even  this  bait  made  him  run  the  risk  of 
poisoned  tea  at  least.  A  tall,  powerful  man, 
he  came  armed  with  his  long  Moorish  gun 
and  the  inevitable  knife.     As  he  was  drinking 


2>8 


A    SCAMPER   THROUGH 


his  glass  of  tea  some  one  asked  to  look  at  the 
gun,  and  while  it  was  being  examined  the 
kaid  was  seized  from  behind.  He  drew  his 
knife  and  wounded  one  of  his  assailants,  but 
his  right  arm  was  quickly  struck  down  by  a 
blow  from  the  butt-end  of  a  gun,  and  he  was 
conveyed  to  prison.  It  was  to  release  this 
man  that  the  Berbers  threatened  to  enter 
Tangier  and  assault  the  Kasbah  in  January  of 
this  year ;  and  one  of  the  causes  which  led  to 
the  summoning  to  Fez  of  the  ever  unpopular 
Basha.  For  weeks  the  tribes  refused  to  bring 
their  produce  to  the  market,  and  provisions 
were  few  and  dear  in  consequence.  The 
appointment  of  a  new  Basha  is,  at  present, 
the  cause  of  great  rejoicing  and  much  waste 
of  powder ;  but  one  cannot  help  sympathising 
with  the  deposed  official,  who  had  paid  so 
much  for  his  office  that  he  had  not  time  to 
exact  a  return  from  the  people  over  whom  he 
ruled.  He  will  probably  have  a  "  mauvais 
quart  d'heure  "  at  the  court  of  Mouley  Hassan, 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


259 


and  the  warships  of  the  five  European  nations, 
which  crowded  the  little  bay  of  Tangier  for  a 
week  or  two,  may  cruise  for  a  short  time  in 
other  waters.  It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  the 
English  gunboat  Thunderer  was  first  on  the 
spot. 

The  powers  interested  in  the  question  of 
Morocco  are  Spain,  which  has  never  renounced 
her  dreams  of  annexation ;  England,  which 
could  not  afford  to  let  another  power  occupy 
Tangier  ;  Germany,  which  has  acquired  a 
protectorate  over  a  neighbouring  state;  and 
France,  which,  pushing  forward  from  Algiers 
southward,  is  about  to  add  Touat  to  her 
African  possessions.  The  danger  to  the 
Christians  inhabiting  Tangier  was  doubtless 
real  at  this  time,  when  we  take  into  considera- 
tion that  Mouley  Hassan  is  a  barbarian  and 
the  Moors  savages. 

The  Arabs  are  proverbially  cruel,  and  hold 
human  life  very  cheaply.  An  Englishman  a 
short    time    ago,    was  looking    at    the    usual 

s  2 


26o 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


devotions  and  prostrations  In  front  of  the 
saint's  tomb  on  the  Soko  ;  a  Moor  behind  him 
took  a  knife  and  was  about  to  draw  it  across 
his  throat,  but  was  prevented  by  an  Arab  with 
whom  the  Englishman  was  acquainted.  The 
favourite  method  of  -  happy  despatch"  is  by 
cutting  off  the  head. 

Their  cruelty  is  also  shown  in  their  manner 
of  punishing  crime.     A  thief  is  punished  with 
the  loss  of  an  eye  for  the  first  offence,  and  for 
the  second  and  third  with  the  hacking  off  his 
hands  and  burning  out  the  remaining  oro-an 
of  vision.     It  is  therefore  not  surprising  that 
one   sees    so    many  wretched    beings    whose 
sightless  eye-sockets,  and  arms  without  hands, 
proclaim  their  criminality.     For  some  offences 
men  are  buried   alive  with  their  heads  above 
the  ground  till  they  die  ;  and   within   the  last 
three  years  a  traveller   saw  on   the   walls  of 
Fez  the  heads  of  about  thirty  tribesmen  who 
had  been   beheaded    for   not    paying   tribute. 
Yet   the   present    Sultan  is   considered    to   be 


/» 
^ 


■-;!« 

^ 

3 


t« 


''**«g^ 


'•Ai 


■■^f       ■*& 


^^^ 


■  .m,.f:. 


^-t^ 


T-V  c^n 


7 


:^m^l    '-  ^^ 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


261 


merciful    beyond    all    his  predecessors.     This 
despotic  ruler  rejoices  in  the  possession  of  six 
hundred  wives,   who  are   sent  on  before  him 
with    the    rest   of    his    impedimaita    when    he 
travels ;  of  the  number  of  his  children  he  has 
made  no  note.     His  palace  in  Fez  is  full  of 
toys,  such  as  models  of  guns,  steam-engines, 
&c.,  presented  to  him  by  various  monarchs  at 
a  loss  for  more  suitable  offerings   to  one  who 
possesses  so  many  of  the  good  things  of  this 
world.    He  also  owns  a  yacht  in  order  to  be  a 
little   up   with  the   times,   but    it    is  not   yet 
recorded  that    he   has   run    the   risk    of  sea- 
sickness by  taking  a  trip  in  her.     His  usual 
retinue    consists     of    about     sixty     thousand 
soldiers,  and  on  the  occasion  of  his  visit   to 
Tangier,  the  victualling  them  was  a  source  of 
intense  anxiety  to  the  Basha,  whose  duty  it 
was  to  provide  for  so  numerous  a  horde. 


W 


262 


A  SCAMPER  THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


263 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

TANGIER    {C07ltinucdy 

'Tis  winter,  but  the  young  hours  joyous  wake, 
And  glow  and  strengthen  into  perfect  day  ; 

The  blue  bay  shimmers  like  a  sun-kissed  lake 
Where  gold-flecked  hills  of  Spain  lie  far  away. 

Above  the  shifting  rim  of  yellow  beach 
Arise  the  white-roofed  dwellings  of  the  Moor, 

Crowned  by  the  Kasbah.     Far  as  eye  can  reach, 
Old  Atlas,  snow-crowned,  pierces  Heaven's  floor. 

The  soft  breeze  rustles  through  the  sapless  canes, 
Bending  their  yellow  plumes  ;  the  palm-tree  waves 

Its  heavy  pennons,  and  the  low  refrains 
Creep  sadly  round  the  Moslems'  nameless  graves. 

Alone  by  the  mueddin's  long-drawn  cry 
To  pray'r  and  praise  soft  nature  is  disturbed, 

Till,  as  the  sun  mid  aloes  sinks  to  die. 
The  wild-dogs'  melancholy  howls  are  heard. 

Day  dies  !  but  see,  o'er  Heaven  a  flush  of  light, 
Crimson  and  orange  blending  with  the  blue, 

Than  ev'n  the  sun's  broad  disc  more  rich  and  bright, 
More  tender  than  the  opal's  changing  hue. 


Amid,  like  jewels,  many  stars  are  set ; 

But  where  the  mountains  tower,  more  deep  intense 
The  splendour,  as  if  day  and  night  had  met 

In  mingled  glory  and  magnificence. 

M.  T. 

A   MODERN    writer    thus  truthfully    describes 
the  aspect  of  nature  in  Morocco,   and  I  give 
his  words  in  preference  to  my  own: -"It  is 
peculiar    and     striking.       There    are     com- 
paratively but  few  signs  of  cultivation,  and  yet 
the  country  has  an  old  look  that  gives  it  a 
very  different   appearance    from    any    of  the 
thinly-peopled    districts    of  the    New   World. 
The  towns— which  are  mainly  inhabited  by  the 
Moors,  many  of  them  descendants  of  the  ex- 
patriated Saracens  of  Andalusia,  mingled  with 
Jews,  negro    slaves,    and  Christian  renegados, 
who,   in    the    present   day,    mostly  consist  of 
escaped    convicts     and     deserters    from     the 
Spanish  garrison  of  Ceuta— are  few  and  wide 
apart.      There   are   no   villages,  but  in   their 
place  are  donahs,  or  groups  of  low  brown  tents, 
inhabited  by  the  Arabs,  or  rather  a  mixed  race 


264 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER, 


26 


of  Arabs  and  Africans.  In  the  northern  part 
of  the  empire,  from  Fez  and  Mequinez  to  the 
Straits  of  Gibraltar,  the  aspect  of  the  country 
is  still  more  desolate."  He  adds:—''  It  may  be 
questioned  whether  the  whole  empire  contains 
live  millions  of  people.  The  great  plain  of 
Morocco  alone  could,  if  properly  cultivated, 
easily  support  twice  that  number." 

This  description  exactly  represents  the 
countr}'  round  Tangier,  and  I  have  been  told 
by  every  traveller  I  have  met,  that  he  who 
sees  this  part  of  Morocco  has  practically  seen 
it  all — there  is  so  very  little  variety. 

The  Arabs  are  forbidden  by  their  religion 
to  pose  for  a  painter;  they  have  an  idea  that  a 
part  of  themselves  or  their  soul  is  taken  away 
in  the  picture.  All  attempts  at  getting  them 
to  sit  are  therefore  difficult,  and  if  they  pose 
once  even,  it  is  probable  they  will  not  come  a 
second  time.  The  studio  must  be  out  of  the 
way  of  observation,  and  the  sitter  must  be  well 
paid  -then  their  religious  scruples  may  perhaps 


be  overcome.  The  women,  being  supposed 
to  have  no  souls,  might  for  that  reason  be 
expected  to  sit  willingly,  but  their  lords  and 
masters  here  interfere.  A  lady  missionary 
once  began  to  talk  to  a  Moorish  woman  about 
her  soul ;  the  latter  thereupon  laughed  glee- 
fully, and  told  the  good  lady  she  might  just  as 
well  **  preach  to  the  cow,  which,  like  her,  did 

not  possess  one." 

Human  life  having  no  value  for   the  Arab, 
death  has  but  little  terror.     They  carry  their 
dead  to  the  grave  with  a  triumphant  march, 
chanting  all  the  way  a  joyous  air.     The  bodies 
are  buried  without  coffins,  wrapped  in  linen; 
it  is   said  the  linen  even  is  sometimes  omitted, 
but  It  is  difficult  to  know  exactly  what  they  do 
at  the  grave-side,  as  they  gather  closely  round 
it,  and  resent  angrily  the  near  approach  of  a 
Christian.     The  corpses  of  women  are  covered 
with  a  bright  green  pall ;    neither  In  life  nor 
death  may  a  woman  be  seen  by  any  man  but 
her  husband.     The  Jews  act  very  differently 


266 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


when  they  bury  their  dead;  they  cry  and 
lament,  and  the  women  go  to  the  cemetery  for 
seven  days  after  to  weep  at  the  grave,  as  I 
suppose  they  do  in  Jerusalem.  They  com- 
mence their  lamentations  early  in  the  mornincr 
when  the  air  resounds  for  several  hours  with 
their  sharp  shrill  cries.  Jewish  costumes  and 
ceremonies  may  be  well  observed  in  Tangier. 

A  walk   down   the   road  that  leads   to   Fez 
seemed  like  a  walk  into  Africa ;  many  of  the 
characteristics  that  in  childhood  we  have  read 
about  the  "  dark  continent "  are  realised  there. 
Unmade  roads  like  valleys  of  sand,  aloes,  huge 
cactuses,  low  hills  covered  with  stunted  bushes, 
and  strange  beautiful  wild  flowers  are  there  ;  in 
the  midst  are  the  rough  huts  of  the  natives,  who 
appear  and  disappear  among  them  noiselessly, 
like  ghosts  in  weird  raiment.     The  long  white 
garments  of  the  women  lend  themselves  happily 
to  this  idea,  strongly  contrasted  as  they  are 
with  the  deep  orange  and  purple  tints  of  the 
sky,  and  the  golden  mist  in  which  the  moun- 


.a3h 

':^^ 

«*'*. 

ut^'i 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


267 


tains  seem  to  swim.  Even  camels  are  there, 
ready  with  long  noiseless  strides  to  plunge 
into  the  desert,  and  their  young,  **si  peles,  si 
bossus,  sigauches  dans  leurgaite  d' enfant." 

The  Kasbah,  the  fortified  enclosure  of  which 
I  have  before  spoken  (the  fortifications  contain 


.  ,A>uJ.  4^  H.P'Mi^4JU. 


Gate  of  Kasbah. 

about  thirty  old-fashioned  cannon  and  one  re- 
volving gun),  is  a  splendid  place  for  sketching. 
One  of  the  most  striking  features  is  the  gor- 
geous dresses  of  the  numerous  soldiery  who 
are  always  lingering  about  the  courtyard. 
Camels,    magnificent   Arab    steeds    from   the 


268 


A   SCAMPER  THROUGH 


desert,  and  a  tame  gazelle  form  part  of  the 
scene,  of  which  the  appropriate  background  are 
wallsofintensest  white.  Regnault  the  lamented 
French  painter,  was  a  great  admirer  of  Tan- 
gier, and  he  built  a  studio  here,  going  thence 
to  the  barricades  in  Paris  where  he  died ; 
Benjamin  Constant  has  paid  it  more  than  one 
visit  and  intends  to  come  again  ;  and  Fortuny 
also  worked  in  sunny  Morocco. 

One  of  the  gloomiest  sights  in  Tangier  is 
the  prison  in  the  Kasbah.  The  visitor  is  told 
to  look  through  a  hole  in  the  wall,  and  in  a 
dirty  courtyard  surrounded  by  an  arcade,  sees 
a  number  of  men  and  women  in  chains,  who 
are  sentenced  to  remain  there  for  periods 
varying  from  a  few  days  to  six  years. 

A  traveller  has  thus  described  the  objects 
that  there  met  his  view  : — '*  A  few  heaps  of 
foul  straw  by  way  of  furniture,  a  group  of 
emaciated  human  beings,  ragged  and  un- 
kempt to  the  last  degree,  and  with  about  as 
much  expression  in   their  faces  as  cowed  wild 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER, 


269 


beasts.     It  must  not  for  a  moment  be  supposed 
that  these  are  criminals.      The  real  evil-doer 
is  usually  strong  enough  and  rich  enough  to 
defy  justice."*     The    Government    does    not 
supply   its  prisoners   with    food,    so    they   are 
dependent  on  what  their  friends  bring  them,  or 
they  can  purchase  with   money  obtained  from 
the  sale  to  visitors  or  merchants  of  the  little 
baskets    they    make.       Our     old    friend    the 
soldier  remarked  that  there  were  about  ''  one 
hundred  shentlemans"  in  there  at  the  time  of 

our  visit. 

In  the  busy  streets  of  European   cities  the 
mueddin's  frequent  call  to  prayer  would  be  in 
vain  for  several  reasons,  not  the  least  among 
them   being    because    his    cry   could    not    be 
heard  above  the  din  of  traffic ;  here  the  sound 
is  always  distinct,  and  reaches  a  long  distance 
from   the   city   walls ;    it  falls  on  the  ears  of 
the    busy    labourers    in    the    fields,  who  lay 
aside  their  tools  and  bend  their  foreheads  to 

*  Sl'ctches  in  Spain,  by  John  Lomas. 


270 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


the  earth  in  supplication  to  Allah,  the  All- 
Merciful.  The  cry  is  precisely  like  that  of 
the  Spanish  scrcnos,  who  must  have  learned 
it,  as  they  did  so  many  things,  from  the 
Moors— a  long  chant  on  one  note,  sometimes 
shortened,  sometimes  prolonged.  Beinp-  trans- 
lated, the  words  are  something  like   these: 

''Come  to  prayers!  Come  to  prayers!  Come 
to  the  temple  !  Come  to  the  temple  !  Prayer  is 
better  than  sleep  !  Prayer  is  better  than  sleep  ! 
La  ilahah  ila  Allah  !  There  is  no  other  God 
than  God!" 

A  missionary  who  has  been  for  six  years 
working  among  the  Moors,  described  their 
immorality  as  something  impossible  to  con- 
ceive. Men  will  sell  their  own  children  as 
slaves ;  if  a  wife  does  not  suit  her  husband, 
or  for  the  most  trifling  cause,  such,  for 
example,  as  a  dinner  improperly  cooked,  he  can 
divorce  her  by  word  of  mouth,  and  that  within 
a  month  of  her  marriage;  she  then  marries 
another   man,  and    thus   wives  are  practically 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER, 


271 


interchangeable.  Many  Moors  do  not  know 
who  is  their  father.  They  have  no  Idea  of 
what  truth  Is ;  though  lying  Is  forbidden  by 
the  Koran,  they  have  no  scruple  In  doing 
it  and  confessing  it.  Murder  Is  scarcely 
considered  a  crime;  a  man  In  Tangier  Is 
known  to  have  committed  three,  but  he  has 
paid  for    them    all,   and    the    luxury    is    not 

costly. 

A   Moor   who  had  an  enemy  asked   a  Jew 
(they   generally  get    Jews   to  do    their    dirty 
work)  to   kill   him,  giving  him   one   hundred 
dollars   In  payment.      The   assassin    went  to 
Tetouan,  took  lodgings    In  the   house  of  the 
doomed  man,  and  lived  with  him  on  the  most 
friendly  terms  for  a  year ;    then   one  evening 
at   supper   he   Informed  his  host  that  he  was 
commissioned  to  kill  him,  and  saying  so,  shot 
him  dead.     Like  most  murderers  In  Morocco, 
he  was  never  punished. 

Travelling  In  the  interior  is  still  a  litde  risky, 
and  it  Is  best  to  take  a  soldier.     The  country 


272 


A    SCAMPER   THROUGH 


between  Tetouan  and  Oran  cannot  be  tra- 
versed by  Christians ;  the  inhabitants  are  the 
most  fanatical  in  Morocco. 

Jews  have  a  very  bad  time  in  most  towns, 
and  are  not  allowed  to  walk  past  a  mosque 
without  taking-  off  their  shoes,  or  enter  a  street 
in  which  a  saint  lives.  Luckily  the  saints  herd 
together. 

Circumcision  is  made  the  occasion  of  a  cere- 
mony, gladly  seized  upon  by  a  people  who  have 
no  occupation,  and  whose  life  is  so  primitive 
and  wants  so  small  that  a  few  hours'  labour  a 
day  supplies  them.  The  boy,  gorgeously 
dressed,  is  mounted  on  his  father's  horse,  and 
led  round  and  round  the  house  with  flags 
flying  and  drums  beating,  followed  by  a  crowd 
of  spectators. 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


273 


CHAPTER  XV. 

TANGIER  {continued). 

Many  times  in  the  course   of  my  '^  sketching 
scamper"    I    have   paused    to    consider  how 
best    to  convey   to    the     reader's    mind    the 
impressions  which  afforded    me   such    intense 
pleasure,    and   have  come   to  the   conclusion 
that  it  is  better  simply  to  describe,  and  trust  to 
the  simple  description  only,   than  attempt  any 
sentimental  or  romantic  comments.     When  an 
artist  exchanges  the  brush  or    chisel   for  the 
pen,    he   cannot    expect  to   produce   polished 
sentences,  nicely  turned  phrases,  or  particularly 
apt  epithets  ;  he  can  only,  like  Anthony,  *'  speak 
right  on."     This  must  be  an    excuse  for  my 
''bald  disjointed  chat." 

The  Soko  is  the  centre  of  Tangerine  life,  and 


274 


A  SCAMPER   THROUGH 


many  and  charming  were  the  scenes  we  saw 
there ;  but  why,  oh  why  have  the  English  been 
permitted    to    destroy  the    picturesqueness  of 
the  spot  by  erecting-  a  vile  tin   church'  in   the 
very  midst  ?  Would  their  prayers  be  of  no  avail 
offered  up  in  another  place  ?  is  ugliness  a  neces- 
sary ingredient  of  goodness  ?  is  it  meritorious 
to  spoil  a  view  which  Nature  and  the  Moors 
had  concurred  to  render  so  beautiful  ?   And  the 
English  Consulate,  so  square,  so  uncompromis- 
ing, so  redolent  of   Pimlico    and  Kensington, 
was    it  necessary  for  the  better  displaying  of 
the    Union    Jack    to    place    this    edifice    near 
the  Soko,    to    the   destruction    of  one  of  the 
loveliest  views  in  Tangier?     The  Americans, 
with    taste  which  does  them  credit,  have   not 
desecrated    the    place    with    their    Consulate, 
but    have     retired    a    short    distance    to    the 
Monte,   and    there  erected  a  suitable  buildino- 
in    true   Moorish    style.      Alas!    our  country- 
men  abroad  are    not    distinguished    for    their 
good    taste,    and    generally    manage    to    de- 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


275 


stroy  the  element  of  beauty  in  whatever  they 
touch. 

The  camels  which  bring  merchandise  from 
the  interior  are  to  be  seen  on  the  Soko 
numbering  at  times  so  many  as  fifty  and  sixty. 
They  are  driven  one  by  one  to  a  certain  spot, 
made  to  kneel  down,  unloaded,  and  the  piled- 
up  bales  of  goods  covered  with  a  tent  till 
market-day.  A  good  deal  of  recrimination  takes 
place  between  themselves  and  their  drivers, 
perhaps  on  account  of  their  pack-saddles, 
which  are  hardly  ever  removed.  A  friend  who 
chanced  to  see  one  taken  off,  described  the 
back  of  the  poor  animal  as  absolutely  raw. 

The  amount  of  grumbling  a  camel  will  go 
through  while  he  is  being  loaded  or  unloaded, 
is  equalled  only  by  the  Englishman's  whose 
privilege  he  usurps ;  very  lofty  is  his  expres- 
sion, as  if  from  his  superior  height  he  looked 
down  upon  human  beings  with  intense  con- 
tempt. For  their  meals,  a  cloth  is  spread  on 
the  floor,   sacks  of  corn  and  chopped  hay  are 


2T6 


SPAhX  AiXn  TAXGIER. 


emptied  on  to  it,  and  the  camels  are  brought  up 
and  made  to  kneel  in  rows  on  both  sides    as  if 
they  were  at  table  ;  a  good  deal  of  quarrelling 
and  biting  at  each  other  succeeds,  and  an  impu- 
dent donkey  will  sometimes  thrust  his  presence 
among  the  company,  like  the  unwelcome  guest 
we  have  all  seen  at  times.     It  is  sino-ular  that 
camels   will    tolerate  donkeys,   but    they    hate 
horses,  which  they    will    kick  and  bite.      It  is 
said  camels  cannot  travel  over  muddy  roads  ; 
their    long   limbs    slide    apart  and    their   soft 
feet  have  no  hold,  so  the  legs  literally  split  off. 
All  the  specimens  we  saw  had  but  one  hump, 
and  varied  in  colour  from   nearly  white  to  the 
deepest  brown. 

The  Soko  is  also  the  scene  of  all  the  popular 
amusements.  On  fine  days  snake-charming 
is  generally  to  be  witnessed  there,  and  never 
fails  to  attract  a  crowd  of  Arabs  as  well  as 
strangers.  A  circle  is  cleared  on  the  cleanest 
available  spot  ;  a  man  beating  a  drum,  and 
another  playing  a  pipe,  seat  themselves  at  one 


278 


A    SCAMPER    THROUGH 


part  of  the  circumference.  The  performer, 
when  we  saw  it,  was  the  lean  small  man  almost 
black,  who  figures  on  the  cover  of  this  book  ; 
his  head  is  shaven  except  at  the  back,  where 
a  long-  waving  lock  is  left  according  to 
Mohammedan  custom,  by  which  he  is  to  be 
drawn  up  into  Paradise,  and  his  features  are 
refined  and  nearly  European.  He  began  by 
bowing  to  the  ground,  which  he  touched 
repeatedly  with  his  forehead,  and  vociferating 
a  prayer  to  his  special  saint  to  protect  him 
from  the  poisonous  effects  of  the  snake  bites. 
Two  men  who  were  sitting  withm  the  circle 
rose  at  his  bidding,  and  the  place  on  which 
they  had  been  sitting  was  seen  to  be  covered 
with  writhing  snakes.  These  he  captured  and 
put  into  a  leathern  bag;  then  selecting  a  very 
beautiful  specimen,  about  five  feet  in  length, 
whose  striped  skin  changed  in  the  sunlight 
from  brightest  pink  to  vivid  green,  raised  it  in 
his  hands  and  carried  it  round  the  circle, 
collecting  money  as  he  did  so.      He  repeated 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


2/9 


his  incantations,  irritated  the  snake  which  was 
a  little  torpid  at  first,  and  finally  put  the  head 
of  the  reptile  in  his  mouth  and  allowed  it  to 
bite  him  many  times  on  the  tongue  and  lips. 
Blood  flowed  from  his  mouth,  and  mingled  with 
foam  which  ran  down  his  beard  till  he  was  a 
frightful  spectacle,  almost  as  bad  as  the 
Hawadji.  The  charmer  danced  round  and 
round  again,  and  allowed  the  snake  to  fasten 
on  his  wrists  and  bite  vigorously;  he  rather 
seemed  to  enjoy  being  bitten  than  not.  There 
was  no  mistake  about  the  biting ;  I  saw  the 
fangs  enter  the  flesh,  and  sometimes  the  snake 
held  so  firmly  that  it  was  difficult  to  pull  off. 
Immediately  after  being  bitten  on  the  tongue 
he  scraped  the  blood  from  it  with  a  straw 
picked  up  on  the  spot,  and  I  also  noticed  that, 
before  he  allowed  the  snake  to  touch  him,  he 
had  been  eating  some  green  herb.  The  whole 
spectacle  makes  one  shudder,  and  is  dreadful- 
even  admitting,  as  of  course  we  must,  that 
the  poison  gland  had  been  extracted. 


28o 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


His  next  performance  (I  forgot  to  say  a 
small  fire  of  straw  was  lighted  near  what  we 
will  call  the  orchestral  portion  of  the  ring)  was 
to  blow  into  flame  a  handful  of  crrass.  He 
held  this  tightly  over  his  mouth  and  blew  and 
blew  till  at  last  a  flame  appeared.  No  one 
seemed  to  know  how  this  trick  was  done,  but 
on  a  subsequent  occasion  two  Englishmen 
offered  him  a  couple  of  dollars  if  he  would  do 
it  without  the  fire  in  the  ring  being  already 
kindled.  He  undertook  to  do  the  trick,  but 
under  pretence  of  not  having  enough  straw,  sent 
a  confederate  to  procure  more.  This  man  must 
have  managed  to  convey  a  small  coal  in  the 
centre  of  the  handful  he  so  speedily  brought. 
However,  the  snake-charmer  soon  blew  it  into 
flame,  and  got  the  two  dollars. 

I  afterwards  succeeded  in  engaging  this  man 
to  pose  for  his  picture— a  savage  from  the 
remotest  depths  of  Morocco,  by  religion  of  the 
sect  of  the  Assowa,  who  tear  living  sheep  to 
pieces,    and     snatching  from    each   other   the 


Snake-chiinnet 


ZS2 


A   SCAMPER   THRU  UGH 


quiverin-   fragments,    devour  them,   even    to 
the   wool    and    entrails.      Yet   his    behaviour 
indoors    was    always    refined,    even    perfectly 
gentlemanly.     It  was  difficult  to  reco-nise  in 
our  quiet,  self-contained  guest  the  apparently 
wild  demoniac  whom  we  had  seen  on  the  Soko 
wind  wreathing  serpents  about   his  neck,  and 
foaming  and  covered  with  blood,  put  one  and 
sometimes  two  of  their  heads  into  his  mouth, 
exciting  them  to  bite  him. 

He  used    to    come    surreptitiously    to   our 
hotel,  fearing  the  notice  of  his  co-religionists, 
pose  well,  and  at  intervals  smoke  a  cigarette 
and  drink  the  glass  of  green  tea  with  which  we 
supplied  him,  with  an  air  of  dignity  and  com- 
posure   that    would    have    done    credit    to    a 
prince.      We  gave  him  a  certain   sum  every 
day,  and  promised  a  gratuity,  or  favor,  at  the 
conclusion  of  the  sittings  to  keep  him  to  his 
appointment,  and   he  was  punctual  and   per- 
fectly honourable  in  his  dealings.     He  always 
asserted   that  "  Sidi    Mahomet,"    the    patron- 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


283 


saint  of  the  Assowa,  granted  him  immunity 
from  danger  when  the  snakes  bit  him.  For 
an  Arab  he  earned  a  great  deal  of  money  by 
his  profession,  and  beguiled  his  lengthened 
hours  of  leisure  by  extracting  such  music  as 
was  possible  out  of  a  sort  of  gamba  with  two 
strings,  made  of  a  piece  of  bamboo,  over  the 
split  end  of  which  a  bladder  stretched  forms 
the  sounding-board. 

Among  the  most  interesting  sights  on  the 
Soko  are  the  Story-tellers  of  the  Desert,  who 
are  many  and  various.     For  hours  at  a  time 
they  relate  their  tales   to  an  audience  never 
weary  of  listening.    Their  voices  are  so  per- 
fectly   modulated    and    gestures   so   eloquent 
that  we  could  quite  enter  into  their  recitations. 
They  stand  In  the  midst  of  the  serious  Moors, 
who  are  seated  on  the  ground,   having  faces 
Indicative  of  the  most  profound  interest.     The 
story-tellers  declaim  their  narrative  with  much 
gesticulation  and  facial  expression,  mterruptin 
it  occasionally,  one  to  play  a  few  chords  with 


284. 


A    SCAMPER    THROUGH 


a  straw  on  his  primitive  guitar,  another  to 
strike  together  three  little  cymbals  worn  on  his 
fingers,  or  a  third  to  tap  on  the  little  painted 
drum  placed  in  the  hollow^  of  his  arm.  These 
men  are  splendidly  draped,  recalling  the  car- 
toons of  Raphael,  or  some  of  the  noblesi 
of  the  antique  statues  ;  their  free,  untu- 
tored actions  are  a  perfect  lesson  in  elocution. 
No  dress  in  the  world  is  so  artistic  as  the 
]\Ioorish. 

The  climate  is  one  of  the  most  perfect  in 
the  world.  It  is  never  cold,  and  the  heat  of 
summer  is  tempered  by  the  sea-breezes.  The 
heavy  rains  begin  to  fall  in  October,  and  last 
till  March.  February  and  March  are  the 
coldest  months,  but  the  thermometer  seldom 
or  never  falls  below  49  degrees.  The  Christmas 
Day  of  1 89 1  was  wet  but  mild  ;  the  day  before 
it  I  was  able  to  sketch  out  of  doors ;  and  the 
following  days  were  beautifully  warm  and 
fine.  We  never  had  fires,  and  wore  our  usual 
summer  clothing    throughout     December  and 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER, 


285 


January.     December   ihe   13th  the  glass  was 
70  degrees  in  the  sun. 

It  seems  incredible  that  roses,  acacias,  and 
geraniums  should  be  blooming  in  the  open  at 
this  time  of  year,  and  ferns  growing  plentifully 
beneath  the  aloe  and  cactus  hedges.  The 
almond-tree  was  in  blossom,  peas  and  beans 
were  a  foot  high,  and  the  only  sign  of  winter 
was  that  it  grew  dark  about  five  o'clock.  One 
trains  vears  of  daylight  to  work  in  in  a  climate 

like  this. 

If  our  fog-cursed,  cold  island  could  be 
loosed  from  its  moorings  in  the  north  Atlantic 
Ocean,  towed  south,  and  anchored  again  three 
decrrees  nearer  the  equator,  what  an  improve- 
ment  it  would  be  !  But  there  is  no  accounting 
for  taste.  On  the  other  hand,  an  English 
writer  once  said  of  Tangier:— "  One  constantly 
thinks  how  pleasant  it  would  be  to  be  out  of  it 
all,  and  even  registers  a  silent  vow  never  again 
to  be  tempted  into  the  regions  of  romance." 
But  he  was  not  an  artist. 


286 


A    SCAMPER   THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER, 


287 


•i 


CHAPTER  XVr. 

TANGIER    {coutuiiud). 

"^  -        We    were    never 

tired  of  walking* 
about  Tangier. 
Every  day  was 
like  turning  over 
the  pages  of 
some  superbly 
illustrated  book. 
From  one  of  the 
heights  round  it 
called  the  Mar- 
shan,  mavbe  seen 
that  bay  immor- 
talised by  Nelson's  great  victory,  where  on  a 
certain  day  he  as  well  as  others  did  the  duty 


Douahs. 


expected  of  them  by  England.  The  roads 
leading  out  of  the  town  not  being  made,  are 
in  sum.mer  nothing  but  dust,  and  in  winter 
nothing  but  mud.  However,  they  are  always 
very  beautiful,  lined  with  aloes,  cactus,  and 
bamboo-canes. 

The  streets  are  squalid  and  have  no  names, 
and  the  houses  no  numbers,  so  It  is  difficult 
to  find  your  way  to  any  particular  abode.* 
English,  French,  and  Spaniards  have  estab- 
lished separate  post-offices,  and  if  you  expect 
a  letter  it  is  best  to  try  them  all  before  you  are 
quite  sure  it  has  not  arrived. 

In  Tangier  people  of  every  African  and 
many  European  nationalities  meet  ;  Arabs, 
Moors,  Reefians,  Soudanese,  Egyptians,  &c., 
from  the  purest  pink  complexion  to  the  oiliest 
black,  may  be  seen  there.  Women  with  long 
white  robes,  hiding  their  faces,  glide  about 
like  spectres  ;  some,  sitting  in  the  street,  display 

*  -Onjcttc  tout,  on  fait  tout  dans  les  rues,  except^  de 
relever  les  murs  ecroules  et  de  nettoyer." 


288 


A    SCAMPER   THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


2^9 


their  wares,  as  well  as  a  considerable  amount 
of  leg-,  but  neither  mouth  nor  nose.  Savage- 
looking  negroes,  whose  very  appearance  recalls 
all  one  has  ever  read  of  African  horrors  ;  water- 
bearers,  naked  from  the  feet  to  half  way  above 
the  knees,  carrying  pigskins  empty  or  full ; 
grave  merchants  in  many-hued  djelahes  and 
snowy  turbans ;  wild-looking  Arabs  from  the 
desert  in  all  the  dignity  of  ragged  draperies 
which  remind  one  of  Greek  and  Roman  heroes, 
as  do  also  their  features,  mingle  with  the 
jaunty  little  Spaniard  with  sloping  shoulders 
in  broad  sombrero,  the  Englishman  who  thinks 
the  most  ridiculous  dress  he  can  adopt  the 
proper  thing  abroad,  and  the  Frenchman  as 
iresh  and  smart  as  if  he  were  sauntering  down 
his  beloved  boulevard — all  these  can  be  seen 
in  the  streets  of  Tangier,  with  quaint  white 
houses  and  arches,  piles  of  fruit,  strange  little 
shops  full  of  rich  stuffs,  embroideries,  curious 
knives,  guns  six  feet  long,  and  other  Moorish 
specialities  for  a  background. 


Suddenly  a  flag  is  run  up  at  the  flagstaff  on 
the  minaret,  the  voice  of  the  mueddin  is  heard, 
and    the     religious     Mohammedans    prostrate 
themselves  in  prayer.     Then  the  night  closes 
in,    and   the   sky    becomes    radiant    with    the 
glorious   afterglow,    which    lengthens  out  the 
day  while  clothing  the  distant  hills    and  sea 
with   purple   more   splendid  than    that   of  the 
robes  of  Eastern  emperors ;  the  hum  of  traffic, 
the  eternal    strife    of  bargaining,  cease   for  a 
time ;    instead,   the    m.onotonous   tones  of  the 
^amba  fill  the  air,  and  the  wild-dogs  bay  con- 
tinuously in  the  distance. 

Soon  these  pictures  will  only  be  reminis- 
cences of  the  past,  for  even  now  parts  of 
Tangier  are  lighted  with  electric  light,  and  ii 
is  proposed  to  make  an  electric  tramway  from 
the  Soko  to  the  sea.  I  am  glad  to  have  seen 
it  before  the  destructive  hand  of  civilisation 
has  seized  this  quaint  little  Moorish  city 
entirely  in  its  grasp. 

Distasteful  as  it  always  is,  we  must   pause 


u 


zgo 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


for  a  moment  to  consider  the  subject  of  the 
indispensable  fioos,  as  the  Moors  call  money. 
The  Spanish  coinage  is  mostly  in  circulation, 
though  English  and  French  coins  pass.  In 
Spain  we  never  saw  a  gold  coin,  neither  did 
the  bankers  possess  them.  The  exchange  on 
English  notes  and  cheques  reached  while  we 
were  here  14  and  16  per  cent.  Dollars,  Spanish 
diiros,  or  French  five-franc  pieces  are  the 
coins  of  highest  value  used,  and  a  moderately 
large  sum  of  these  is  so  cumbersome  that  an 
extra  big  purse  or  bag  is  needful.  The  Moorish 
floos  are  worth  about  five  a  penny;  their  silver 
coins,  shillings,  and  half-crowns,  minted  for 
them  in  Paris,  are  beautiful  pieces  of  really 
artistic  design. 

Some  energetic  missionaries  have  established 
a  hospital  on  the  Marshan,  and  hope  to  get  at 
the  Moors'  souls  through  healing  their  bodies. 
The  greatest  trouble  they  have  is  to  keep  the 
men  and  women  apart,  which  problem  they 
once     solved     by    eliminating     the     feminine 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


291 


element.  When  we  visited  the  hospital  most 
of  the  cases  were  skin  diseases,  from  which 
the  Moors  suffer  frightfully.  The  attempts  to 
convert  them  seemed  hopeless  ;  they  come  when 
they  are  ill,  profess  to  become  Christians,  take 
the  medicine  and  get  cured,  but  thank  Allah 
and    the     Prophet     for    their    restoration     to 

health. 

The  dexterity  of  the  Moors  in  the  use  of 
the  gun  is  proverbial.  On  the  occasion  of  a 
wedding,  the  sending  of  presents  from  one 
chief  to  another,  or  other  festivities,  they  come 
in  procession  accompanied  by  a  band  and  per- 
form the  "  powder- play."  Their  guns  are  very 
long,  have  most  of  them  flintlocks,  and  the 
barrels  are  either  bound  with  brass  or  silver,  or 
inlaid.  It  is  to  be  deplored  that  they  are  ex- 
changing these  picturesque  weapons  for  the 
more  useful  but  inartistic  English  rifle  when- 
ever possible. 

Twirling  these  guns  round  their  heads  so 
rapidly  that  they  look  like  wheels,  they  suddenly 

u  2 


292 


A    SCAMPER    THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


293 


bring-  them  down  with  the  butts  resting-  on 
their  breasts,  and  discharge  them  simulta- 
neously over  the  heads  of  their  horses.  They 
toss  their  pieces  high  above  their  heads,  catch 
them  atrain,  and  fire — sometimes  in  the  air, 
sometimes  on  the  ground,  while  they  are 
executing  the  wildest  gyrations. 

We  had  many  opportunities  of  seeing  this 
performance.  One  occasion  was  when  the 
Shereef  of  Wazan,  a  personage  who  can  only 
be  fitly  compared  to  the  Archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury in  rank  and  dignity,  came  to  Tangier. 
His  exalted  position  may  be  estimated  by  the 
fact  of  his  having  sixty  wives,  among  them  (one 
relates  it  with  regret)  an  English  lady.  The 
Moors  performed  the  powder-play  before  him 
as  he  was  carried  through  the  streets  in  a 
gaily-painted  box  open  at  one  side,  while  the 
crowd  rushed  frantically  to  kiss  his  hands  and 

feet. 

It  is  also  executed  at  weddings.  A  bride  is 
borne  to  her  husband's  home  in  a  kind   of  box 


1 


or  tent  on  the  back  of  a  horse,  accompanied 
by  the  same  savage  signals  of  rejoicing.  Poor 
creature  ;  if  she  manages  to  get  a  peep  at  the 
world  through  the  chinks  of  her  box  then,  it  is 

probably  her  last ! 

It  is  as  well  to  remember  that  Christians 
are   rigorously  interdicted  from    entering  the 
mosques    in    Tangier,    unlike   the   custom   in 
Alo-iers.    De  Amicis  relates  that  when,  unaware 
of  this  fact,  he  attempted  to  follow  a  procession 
into  one,  an  old  Arab  rushed  towards  him,  utter- 
ing a  savage  exclamation,  and  pushed  him  back 
with  a  gesture  one  would  use  in  snatching  a 
child  from  the  brink  of  a  precipice.      I  looked 
in  as  far  as  possible ;  there  is  only  to  be  seen 
a  courtyard  with  white  arcades,  and  fountains 
on   either  side,   in   which    true   believers   are 
continually   performing  their  ablutions,  which 
seem  to  consist  of  washing  their  feet,  legs,  and 
faces  with  their  hands.    In  the  country  roads 
the   same  fountain    serves  for  drinking-water 
for  camels,  donkeys,  and  people,  for  ablution, 


2  94 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


and  for  washing  fish — the  only  thing-  they  seem 
to  wash  except  their  clothes. 

The  insane  are  regarded  as  saints  in 
Morocco,  and  very  troublesome  personages 
they  are.  They  persecute  the  visitor  with 
demands  for  charity  on  which  they  live, 
parade  the  streets  most  gorgeously  attired  (one 
rejoices  in  an  orange-coloured  djclabe  and  red 
tunic),  and  wear  numberless  chains,  rings,  and 
amulets.  They  may  be  distinguished  by  the 
spear  which  they  carry,  occasionally  with  a 
cork  on  the  point  to  prevent  mischief.  In  Fez 
they  inhabit  a  special  street  near  the  mosque, 
through  which  no  Christian  is  permitted  to 
pass. 

The  native  donahs  (huts)  are  very  rude, 
simply  made  of  interlaced  bushes  and  thatched; 
as  there  is  no  wood  in  the  country,  every  con- 
trivance is  resorted  to  for  a  substitute.  They 
have  no  windows  or  chimneys,  and  the  doors 
are  so  low  the  inhabitants  have  to  creep  in 
and  out ;     the  only  furniture,  if  they    can   be 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


295 


dignified  with  the  name,  are  a  few  mats  and 
rude  earthenware  pots,  which  latter  the  women 
make.  These  huts  are  built  in  groups,  sur- 
rounded with  thick  hedges  of  cactus  and  aloe. 

The  natives  keep  a    number  of  wild-dogs, 
wretched  looking  animals,  partly  dog,  partly 
jackal,  and  partly  wolf,  about  their  dwellings, 
which  attack  the  stranger  who  approaches  too 
closely.      In  daylight  one  can  frighten  them 
off  as  they  are  great  cowards,  by  pretending 
to  throw  stones  at  them  ;  at  night  and  in  packs 
they  are  dangerous,  and  will  assault  a  man  on 
horseback.     The  carcasses  of  dead  horses  and 
mules  are  deposited  on  a  certain  part  of  the 
beach ;  thither  these   wild   beasts  repair,  and 
o-orcre  and  quarrel  among  themselves  till   the 
remains  are  finished. 

The  Moors'  manner  of  playing  at  ball  is 
curious;  they  throw  the  ball  up  in  such  a 
manner  that  it  falls  near  one  foot,  with  which 
they  kick  it  into  the  air  again. 

There  are   few  places    in    the    Old   World 


2Q6 


A  scampi:/^  through 


SPAIN  AND  TANGIER. 


297 


where  the  ubiquitous  Roman  has  not  set  his 
mark,  strong  and  massive  as  the  rock  on  which 
his  mighty  capitol  was  founded.  So,  as  was 
to  be  expected  in  his  favourite  province  of 
Mauritania,  there  are  the  ruins  of  two  Roman 
bridges  near  Tangier ;  and  old  Tangier,  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  bay,  contains  numerous 
remains  ;  probably  it  is  the  site  of  the  ancient 
Tingis.  The  saying  is  that  the  Moors  began 
to  build  Tangier  on  that  spot,  but  every  night 
the  stones  were  carried  away  by  supernatural 
agency  and  placed  on  the  site  of  the  present 
town,  which  they  took  as  an  indication  it  was 
the  proper  place  on  which  to  erect  it. 

What  views  there  are  over  the  Mediterranean 
to  the  Spanish  hills,  or  far  away  to  the  spur  of 
the  snow-crowned  Atlas  and  the  Monkey 
Mountains !  I  cannot  recall  them  without  a 
thrill  of  pleasure.  The  little  white  villas  nest- 
ling in  the  nearest  hills  must  be  charming 
residences,  but  how  about  getting  furniture 
and    provisions    there    in    a    country    entirely 


£ 


dependent  on  donkeys  for  conveyances  ?  There 
are  only  two  wheeled  vehicles  in  Tangier— one 
is  a  dust-cart,  the  other  a  cab,  whose  excur- 
sions are  confined  to  the  beach,  as  the  roads 
are  so  rough.  It  was  long  before  a  horse 
could  be  found  that  could  be  put  in  harness. 

The  most  repulsive  features  in  the  Moorish 
character  are  cruelty  and  an  utter  disregard 
of  truth.  I  should  be  sorry  to  relate  all  the 
instances  of  the  former  I  have  seen;  it  is 
quite  enough  for  them  to  see  a  dog  to  throw 
a  stone  at  it  immediately,  break  Its  leg, 
or  put  out  its  eye;  animals  are  miade  to 
work  when  they  are  only  fit  to  spend  their 
few     remaining    days     in    peace,    or     to     be 

shot. 

There  is  not  a  mule  or  working  horse  whose 
withers  are  not  raw.  A  mule  came  under  my 
observation  one  day,  down  whose  legs  blood 
was  streaming  freely  from  the  friction  of  the 
harness  which  it  still  wore.  I  endeavoured  to 
remonstrate    with   the   sturdy  Moor  who    was 


2q8 


A   SCAMPER   THROUGH 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


299 


calmly  seated  on  its  back,  but  he  only  looked 
at  me  with  that  apathetic  and  bland  expression 
of  countenance  which  their  religion  teaches 
them  to  cultivate. 

The  Moors  are  insensible  to  remonstrances ; 
they  do  not  value  human  life ;  how  can  they 
be  expected  to  consider  that  of  animals?  I 
should  be  happy,  indeed,  if,  by  calling-  attention 
to  these  facts,  any  remedy  might  be  attempted ; 
what  or  how  I  am  at  a  loss  to  imagine. 

De  Amicis  minutely  describes  the  women, 
walking  with  long  steps  slowly,  covering  their 
faces  with  the  corner  of  a  sort  of  mantle,  under 
which  they  wear  nothing  but  a  chemise  with 
large  sleeves,  having  a  cord  round  the  waist 
like  the  robe  of  a  nun.  One  can  only  see  their 
eyes,  the  hand  which  covers  the  face,  the  nails 
tinted  red  with  henna,  and  the  naked  feet 
thrust  into  large  slippers  of  red  or  yellow 
leather.  He  omits  to  notice  that  they  are 
tattooed  on  the  chin,  with  a  mark  reaching 
from  its  base  to  the  lower  lip. 


i 


When  no  longer  young  they  become  simply 
beasts  of  burden.     They  walk  long  distances 
in    from    the    country    on    market-days,    bent 
double  with   the  weight  of  bundles  of  faggots 
as  large  as  themselves,  huge  baskets  of  char- 
coal or  fruit,  and  often  a  child  bound  on  their 
backs  as  well,  whose  solemn  little  head  sticks 
out   of    its    mother's    garments.      Supportmg 
themselves  with  canes,  barefooted,  and  some- 
times  carrying    iheir  slippers  in   their  hands, 
they  trudge  the  long  distances,  always  good- 
humoured  and  apparently  happy. 

The  Moors  have  only  the  most  rudimentary 
ideas  of  medical  science,  and  many  die  for 
want  of  ordinary  assistance  in  their  ailments. 
How  those  survive  who  live  in  the  miserable 
tents  on  the  Soko,  in  the  midst  of  mud  and 
manure  heaps  during  the  soaking  tropical 
rains  of  winter,  it  is  impossible  to  conceive. 

Naturally  abstemious,  the  principal  meal  of 
the  Arab  is  taken  at  sunset ;  their  usual  food 
is  the  national  dish  of  cooscooscoo—^iour  rolled 


300 


A    SCAMPER   THROUGH 


into  fine  grains,  cooked  in  a  steamer,  and 
mixed  with  that  rancid  compound  of  peculiar 
flavour  which  is  their  only  substitute  for  butter. 
I  did  not  find  it  disagreeable,  and  it  is  said  that 
no  one  who  has  once  acquired  the  taste  for  it 
ever  loses  it'again.  When  irritated  by  the  long 
fast  of  Ramadan  the  Moors  are  particularly 
dangerous;  night  and  day  violent  altercations 
take  place  in  the  streets,  and  four  or  five 
murders  a  week  occur;  at  tbrit  une  it  is  best 
not  to  go  near  a  mosque  or  enter  a  cemetery. 
For  a  period  of  fort\  i:a\s  the  Moh.ininicdan 
nui-L  r:'^^)xo\x-^.x  abstain  from  fooJ  an*!  even 
drink  uurin;L^  lla'  (iaw  '"Hj-  instant,  Ivavover, 
the  da\' closev,  tin  hiinQrx'  [»fHt,'\'er  liastt-ns  to 
in'ieinnii}'  himself  for  his  jiri\"ations  ].\'  an 
induli^ence  in  f-xjil  liniite«l  (.)nl\'  h\'  his  pecu- 
niary means  and  the  (^apacit)-  (jf  his  ^lenKU  li. 
1  he  slight.-  si  return  (jf  appetite  i.^  closely 
watched,  and  eagerly  taken  advantage  uf,  and 
f'Air  or  Hve  tini'S  in  the  ni^dit  ^\^d  t!i»'  wealtliier 
disciples  of  the  Prophet    fortify  the  inner  man 


SPAIN  AND   TANGIER. 


101 


against   the    attacks    of    hunger    during    the 
coming  day.     That  there   may  be  no  excuse 
for  breaking  fast  in  the  daytime,  trumpets  are 
sounded   by  the  mueddins  at  intervals  during 
the  night,  to  waken  people  to  their  meals,  and, 
just  before  the  first  call  to  prayers,  messengers 
from    the    mosques    rush   wildly  through   the 
streets    uttering    loud    cries,   and    beating  on 
the  doors  with    heavy   clubs.     To  the  higher 
classes — those   who    can    afford    to    sleep    all 
day  and  eat  all   night— the  Ramadan  is  n^t  a 
ver\-   trying  time,  but   to   those   wlio   have   to 


lab 


o 


!    !\  ' 


hn  li^iit  the  fast  is  one  of  considc 


able  severity." 

Livin:^"  as  n' uch  tu  (utisft  as  max  be,  it  Wiil 
still  cost  \'(AU  <i^  uasi,  six  pcsticn  a  dciy  la 
Tan<-der.  The  purpose  <)t  tins  oook  is  parti}' 
to  show  how  to  do  this  journey  wath  the  least 
p)Ossible  expense,  1  think  it  will  be  acknow- 
Ud^-ed  my  friend  and  I  accomplished  it  as 
(dieaply  as  it  was  ever  done  when,  having  told 
•■on',  1  'uld   tliat  the  whule  expense  of  the  tear 


302 


SPAIN   AND    TANGIER. 


from  St.  Jean  de  Luz  through  Spain  to  Tangier 
and  London  was  fifty  pounds  each. 

We  crossed  the  strait  in  company  with  the 
cattle  used  for  victualling  the  garrison  of 
Gibraltar,  coming  to  London  in  the  Penin- 
sular and  Oriental  Steamship  Company's  huge 
vessel  Arcadia ;  and,  in  passing,  took  our  last 
look  at  fair  Tangier,  w^hich  now  fades  slowly 
in  the  distance,  and  ranges  itself  with  other 
cherished  visions  of  the  past — 

*'  Et  ego  in  Arcadia." 


THE    END. 


i 


PRINTKD   BT  J.    5.   VIRTIK   AND   CO.,    MMITKI,   CITY    K0A1>,    LONUON. 


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